


blackbird on her shoulder

by LadyofBoneandIvory



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Rey (Star Wars), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo is a Mess, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dominant Rey, Escort Service, F/M, First Dates, Lonely Rey (Star Wars), M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Ben Solo, Omega Kylo Ren, Omega Verse, Rey Needs A Hug, Scent Kink, Sex Worker Kylo Ren, Submissive Kylo Ren, i needed to birth this so i could get on with my life, its actually pretty soft ngl, mpreg in the epilogue, sex organ fuckery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23257420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyofBoneandIvory/pseuds/LadyofBoneandIvory
Summary: After an unlucky-in-love Alpha Rey drunkenly confesses that she wants a single date with an Omega man to stave off her loneliness, Finn gives her the most curious birthday present: a fancy dinner date with a mysterious high profile Omega escort named Mr. Kylo Ren.Rey Johnson couldn't have guessed that she could fall for someone this quickly. Ben Solo couldn't have guessed it either.
Relationships: Dopheld Mitaka/Phasma, Finn/Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 89
Kudos: 275





	1. A Lucky(?) Break

**Author's Note:**

> ~REY BASICALLY HAS A PENIS AND BEN BASICALLY HAS A VAGINA IN THIS FIC. DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT.~
> 
> Hello all, 
> 
> _blackbird on her shoulder_ is the first fan-fiction that I ever finished. The title was taken from Sufjan Stevens' song "The Mystery of Love." 
> 
> Two notes before you begin: (1) The world this AU is set in turned out to be a wonky mashup of stuff from the Star Wars universe (food, slang, locations, events, etc.) and a modern urban American-ish setting (mentions of real world companies, etc.). (2) The term "sexual alignment" refers to where a person is on the A/B/O spectrum in this story. 
> 
> And with that, I hope you find my story engaging. Thank you for clicking. 
> 
> Best,  
> Lady

“Shiiiit, Rey. I don’t believe it. Look over there.” Finn squeezed Rey’s opposite shoulder. Rey looked up from her glass of rosy Meiloorun juice (spiked with a bit of whiskey, per her request) and nearly spit out the mouthful that she was about to swallow. The server Finn nodded in the direction of a server who was dressed like _her_.

“ _Are you kidding me_ —”

“Relax, kiddo.” Poe cut Rey off from across the table. “Just 'cause she has more of…a shape than you do doesn’t mean she can pull off the triple buns as well as you could back in the day.”

“She’s doing a damn fine job filling out the wrappings though.” Finn grinned and adjusted his sitting position. He rolled his shoulders back and withdrew the arm he had around Rey’s shoulders. He then propped up his elbows on the table and cupped his gin and tonic with both hands, running a thumb along the glass’s ridge.

Rey’s fingers unconsciously went to the high ponytail that she had taken to wearing since assuming her new position as the leader of her eight person team at the small mechanical engineering branch of Organa and Skywalker Enterprises. Her eyes followed “thicc Rey” (as she decided to privately call this girl) who was struggling to balance six flutes of bubbly champagne on a tray. Thicc Rey had some traits in common with flat-chested Rey: tanned skin, freckles, chestnut hair. After that, the similarities ended, especially when compared to the starving war hero Rey whose face ended up on all of the Resistance propaganda posters. No wide chin or overly toothy smile in sight. 

“She’s definitely…cute,” Rey choose her words carefully or Finn would have a heyday teasing her about her comment. “But she’s shaped like every other woman in this club except me.”

Finn laughed. “Cute as in extremely fuckable? I bet if she was to go off of her suppressants she’d smell incredible.”

“It’s not her physical appearance…it’s the dressing like me during the war…it’s…like a sexy Rosie the Riveter costume. Like yeah, _clever_ , but it rubs me the wrong way.”

Finn shrugged. “I still want to bury my face in her ass.”

“Finn…” Poe’s voice came out as a gravelly warning shot.

“What?! We have to go on some fancy Grade A level blockers _and_ suppressants to even be considered as patrons, submit an application _three months in advance,_ get approved _,_ pay a ridiculous cover fee, show the fucking bouncer our fucking papers every single time we leave and enter this building, even when I have to step out for a cig for five minutes, by the way. On top of all that shit, we can’t even _engage_ in conversation with the O’s here unless prompted?” Finn took a large swig of his liquor. “If the company didn’t pay for our memberships and meds, I’d rather be at home with one of my own O’s. Like damn, let me nurse my overpriced drink in the corner and enjoy the view with my fellow A’s.”

Rey put her half empty drink on the table. The tart pineapple juice used to mellow out the sickly sweet Meiloorun pulp dried out her mouth. She hated that term.

_"A’s". Alphas. Alpha males. The people for whom this club is made for. Not the 2% of the human population who identify as Alpha women._

She looked around the club. It was only men who sat at the patron tables. No one looked younger in their mid-thirties. She and Finn were probably the youngest people there. Rey kept noticing that a few of these patrons routinely glanced their way with a puzzled expression on their faces when they saw her sitting with Poe and Finn.

She shifted uncomfortably. The thumping techno, which was not loud but had heavy bass that made the walls vibrate, seemed out of place for what essentially looked like a classy gentleman’s club complete with red velvet couches, low light, and mahogany accents. Now that she paid attention to it, the severe scent blockers that both the Alpha male patrons and Omega girls strutting around were on made her eyes water. Finn and Poe (and, after a discreet pit sniff, _her)_ stunk of a thick, suffocating scent similar to chemical paint stripper. The Omegas who passed their table smelled only marginally better: the love child of lye soap and a hospital sitting room.

Finn immediately sensed Rey’s discomfort and adjusted his body language accordingly, slouching to make himself smaller and crossing his legs that were previously spread wide. “Rey…”

Poe shot Finn a death glare.

Rey began to pick at the cuticle on her left ring finger, a nervous habit that often led to an inflamed infection that she had to cover with a band aid. “I—don’t want to ruin the night—”

“Rey. We wanted to do _something_ during your birthday week. We wouldn’t have invited you if we didn’t think you’d have fun.” Poe leaned into the table and covered her hands with one of his warm, calloused ones. “We can leave and go to our place for more drinks and a movie if you don’t want to be here. How does white wine and a space opera sound?”

Rey stared at his hand over hers. “Poe,” she said evenly, “I’m _good_. Don’t worry about me.”

Finn wrapped his arm around Rey's shoulders again and began to rub small friendly circles into the middle of her back between her shoulder blades. “Shit, I’m sorry, Rey. I’ve been acting like a dick for the past hour. We shouldn’t have come without Parnassos. Not a good birthday outing. I’m sorry.”

Rey shook her head. “It’s _fine_.” She withdrew her hands from under Poe’s and took another sip of her drink. “I wouldn’t want to pull Phasma away from Doph, especially tonight.”

Poe gracefully took the hint and transitioned onto the next subject. “Is it what I think it is?”

Rey nodded. Gossip about their coworkers’ love lives was a guilty pleasure between the trio. Phasma Parnassos and Dopheld Mitaka were their favorite lovebirds to chat about.

“Mitaka’s in heat this week, isn’t he? I swore I smelled him on her clothes Tuesday.” Poe broke into a smile that bordered on a shit-eating grin.

Finn whistled. “Your mate’s in crazy heat, you’re probably in the throes of your rut being kept barely sane by your blockers, and you still come in for work? That’s some stupid dedication to your job if I’ve ever seen it.”

“Phasma told me that Doph wants to try for a baby again this year.” Rey was close to Phasma. While she kept the more intimate secrets that Phasma confided in her to herself, Phasma wouldn’t mind her telling Poe and Finn about their current attempts to conceive. Alphas tended to be pretty open about their sex lives to begin with.

Poe’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, he’s in his fall _estrus_ this week? That explains why his scent was so _strong_ —”

“Parnassos is an idiot,” Finn huffed. “If Mitaka wants to get knocked up so badly, why the fuck would he let her go into work for _two days_ of his estrus? I imagine I’d want to get dicked every half hour if I was in his position with how hard it will be for him to conceive.”

“We don’t know what their financial situation is like, especially with that huge house they signed the lease on _and_ if they want to have a child soon,” Rey sniffed.

“Mitaka makes crazy money compared to her! He’s a fucking cardiologist,” Finn took another swallow.

“Mitaka also has to take off a minimum of five days a month to suffer through his heat, plus sometimes more than a week and a half in early April and late November when his body _really_ wants that baby. He can’t be making _that_ much more money than Phasma. It’s a miracle he manages to stay employed as a healthcare professional with a schedule like that. Thank the Maker for anti-discrimination laws,” Poe sided with Rey on this debate. She gave him a grateful smile across the table.

Finn, brow narrowed and lips pressed together, looked around to make sure no servers were in sight, and lowered his voice in response. “And thank fuck I wasn’t born an O.”

Poe gave a tiny shrug and half-raised his glass in a toast. “I would have to agree with that.”

“Same, but…”

“But…what?” inquired Finn.

“I’d really like to find someone like Doph. My counterpart.” Rey’s cheeks warmed. _Oh stars, the whiskey is getting to me._

She remembers the first time Phasma introduced Mitaka to the team at the holiday party two years ago. Mitaka was only an inch or two taller than Rey, but… _shit._ A strong, clean-shaven jawline. Pastel pink, slightly swollen neck glands. Fluffy dark brown hair. Lopsided dimples. Masculine enough, but with wider hips, thick thighs and a hockey butt. The beautifully tailored grey pinstriped suit that emphasized it all. The adorable way he looked up at 6’3” Phasma when she accidentally spilled cranberry juice on his chest and frantically dabbed away at the stain on his shirt with a cloth and a hastily prepared concoction of laundry detergent and vinegar, courtesy of Klaud. Rey could practically read his thoughts like from out of a terrible and sexist romance novel from the 1950s.

_Thank you for taking care of me, Alpha._

In the subsequent interactions that Rey had with Dopheld Mitaka, it quickly became evident that he worshiped the ground Phasma walked on. When Phasma forgot to pack her lunch for work, Mitaka would drop by during his thirty minute lunch break with something tasty to make sure she didn’t go hungry. Salads, hot sandwiches, or occasionally fast food. It didn’t matter. Mitaka would be there with _something_ for her to eat. He was a quiet and polite man who would practically melt into the floor whenever Phasma would give him a thank you peck on the corner of his mouth. Rey would watch all of this while eating her convenience store egg salad sandwich in the corner.

Mitaka was the only Omega man Rey’d ever knowingly met. Even without a scent to go on thanks to some sturdy scent suppressants, she was hooked _instantly._ Were all Omega men this cute, sweet, and attentive? Her brain scolded her for these thoughts, reminding her how problematic it was to fetishize a marginalized group of people like this. Rey was an Alpha woman, for crying out loud. She knew what it is like to be subjected to shitty preconceived notions are based on gender, sexual orientation and sexual alignment. _All Omega men don’t act this way. Mitaka is Mitaka. He loves Phasma with every ounce of his body and soul. That’s why he acts like that._

When Rey finally gathered enough courage to drunkenly cry Alpha woman to Alpha woman in the corner at a party over how jealous she was of their relationship, Phasma hugged her for twenty minutes and drunkenly reassured her that it wasn’t perfect. Mitaka had trust and jealousy issues, partially due to a childhood of neglect and physical abuse. He was clingy and often too affectionate, especially in public, for Phasma’s tastes. He cried at least three times a week over even the littlest things like a mug broken in the dishwasher or a dog’s death in a movie. It crossed the line from adorable and endearing to worrying and frustrating for Phasma about two months in.

“He sees a therapist every other week and switched medications for his anxiety. He’s doing a lot better than he was when you first met him. Relationships take work, Rey.” Beautiful tall blonde Phasma pulled away from the hug and smoothed down the frizzed up pieces of hair flying away from Rey’s ponytail. “You’ll find someone wonderful very soon, Ms. Rey Johnson. I am sure of that.”

That was six months ago. Three weeks ago, Phasma showed up to work with a gold band on her left hand. While the rest of the office twittered and cooed over the ring, Rey made a beeline for the bathroom after congratulating Phasma and broke down in tears.

 _My counterpart?! How…much did they put in this?_ Rey peered into the almost empty glass in her hand. She’d always been a lightweight, but this was just embarrassing.

Finn continued with his sympathetic circles on her upper back. “You’ll find someone very soon, Rey. I don’t worry about that.”

 _There’s_ that _sentence again._

“Finn, I haven’t had a single successful relationship, short or long-term, in my newly twenty-five years of existence. I’m getting to the point where it’s getting weird, even for a misfit A like myself, to have never experienced one. But shoot—” Rey shrugged exaggeratedly, throwing her free hand up in the air, “—I’m just so tired of fruitless dates, one night stands, and swiping on dating apps just to get no matches,” she paused. _No good._ Her vision was getting blurry at the edges. She rapidly blinked a couple times to keep tears at bay. “At this point, even if I can’t keep them for more than a day or two, I want someone to _look_ at me the way Doph looks at Phasma.” She downed the last of her drink and laughed hoarsely. “Do you…do you think they have like… _escort_ services here? I will _pay_ for an O man to let me cuddle him and smell his hair off of scent suppressants for a night at this point. Hell, I’ll pay _extra_ on top of his usual rate if I can finally accompany some guy during his heat. I’ll literally just build a nest, leave him alone until he needs food, and obsessively clean his house in between. What? It’s what I basically do during my ruts these days.”

Rey looked up from her glass. Poe and Finn avoided eye contact. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. Rey wiped it away, humiliated to be showing weakness in a testosterone-fueled environment like this.

“Rey,” Finn began and stopped, grappling to find the right words. His eyes didn’t leave his glass. “What would you want him to look like?”

“He could look like Klaud and I would find him to be the most irresistible thing on this planet.”

Finn pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his contacts. “Then…consider this to be my birthday gift to you.” He stood and headed toward the club exit, leaving Rey and Poe alone at their table.

***

The last thing that Ben Solo expected to receive on a Wednesday night at 11:45PM was a call on his work phone from Finn Trooper. Finn _knew_ Wednesdays were Ben’s night off.

He groaned and sat up on the couch—he’d fallen asleep after a dinner of Chinese takeout while watching reruns of _Eats from Ahch-to_ on PBS. Cursing under his breath, he accepted the call.

“Hel-hello?” He cleared the sleep from his throat and shifted to a cross-legged position, cradling the phone in the crook of his neck.

“Kylo.” Finn sounded exasperated. “Buddy, I need you to do me a major solid here.”

Ben arched an eyebrow. Even though their relationship had started as worker and client, he’d say that they evolved to be somewhere between good friends and fuck buddies over the two years they’d known each other. Finn was one of Ben’s favorites: attentive, well-built, full of stamina, and with a great sense of humor. He always paid up front, tipped well, had his paperwork ready showing that he was clean and on appropriate medication, never tried anything risky, never pried into Ben’s day-to-day life or asked for his personal information, and could have mature and engaged conversations about sex and intimacy without getting aroused. When Ben was in heat and feeling particularly terrible, Finn was always willing to drop off a Gatorade and grocery store sushi at his apartment.

“Depends on what the solid is, Finn. What’s going on?”

“Are you attracted to cisgendered women in any capacity?”

Ben paused and swallowed. “Pardon?”

“I’m sorry, it’s crossing the line a bit, but I need to know. Do you…swing for that team at all?”

“I mean...yeah, I do—I’m not physically compatible, obviously, but yes.”

“I’m talking about Alpha women here, Kylo. Not Omegas or Betas. Have you been with a female Alpha before?” Finn didn’t bother with sexual alignment terminology niceties with him, another trait Ben respected.

Ben’s breath caught in his throat. “I mean, it’s been a minute, but why?” _A complete lie. Thirty-five years old, in this business for nine years, and you’ve never slept with a female Alpha for work_ or _for pleasure._

“There’re two Alpha women on my team at work that I’ve known for about six years. They’re war buddies of mine. Let’s…call them “P” and “R” for the sake of simplicity. Actually—you need pictures to understand where I’m coming from. Could you pull up my Instagram account? It isn’t private.”

“Sure.” Ben complied, grabbing his personal phone and tapping on the Instagram icon, pulling up his own barely used personal account. He searched for Finn and easily found his account. “Found it.”

“So, somewhere in my last ten posts or so, there’s a photo of me at the beach in Hawaii holding a margarita. I’m in floral print swim trunks. Tap on that one.”

Ben found the goofy photo and chuckled. “Found it. Titled, ‘ _Here today, gone to Maui’?_ ”

He could practically hear Finn roll his eyes. “Okay, swipe left. There’s an image in that post that shows me with two women: one’s blonde and a lot taller than me and the other one is brunette and a bit shorter than me.”

It was the fourth picture in the post. The image showed Finn, still in his floral swim trunks and presumably on the same beach, with his arms around the waists of two women. The short-haired one on the right, grinning wide at the camera, was a full head taller than Finn. An obvious Alpha female. She was handsomely beautiful and fair skinned, with a broad chest, wide shoulders and toned muscles. She wore a modest off-white bikini and had a straw hat with a striped navy and white band perched upon her head. The tanned one on the left, however…she was several inches shorter than an already rather short Finn. While she also had broad shoulders, lean musculature, and nearly no chest to speak of like her blonde companion, her build was slighter and more girlish. Freckles were scattered across the bridge of her nose, shoulders and thighs. Her brown hair was in two Dutch braids. She gave a relaxed smile to the camera, holding her hands casually but deliberately in front of her crotch. She was already wearing a white wrap cover up over her obviously padded black one piece.

“I see the photo.”

“Okay. Well, P is the blonde and R is the brunette. Long short kind of short, P recently got engaged to her male Omega partner and R is a complete mess. She tries to conceal her emotions but the entire team at work, including _the four_ _Betas_ , can _smell_ just how unhappy she is at work. I’m worried about her and Phas—I mean, P is worried about her too. R and P are close. P thinks R is acting like this because she’s lonely and unintentionally a little jealous. P’s fiancée is precious, so I get where R might be coming from. R’s not attracted to Beta men, women, or anyone in between. Every single Omega girl she’s tried going out with ends quickly and messily. She’s never been with an Omega guy. We’re at a club tonight and she just confessed to me that she just wants to _smell_ an Omega man’s hair at this point.” Finn gave a short bark of laughter as if to acknowledge the ridiculousness of the situation. “Kylo, I _know_ you told me you weren’t taking on new clients this year. But she’s just a really smart, driven and, in my opinion, attractive twenty-five year old woman who is a little awkward and _really_ unlucky in love. I don’t think she even wants sex at this point, just someone like you to take her out and be kind, affectionate, and attentive to her.”

“So you’re asking me to…what, rent myself out to her for _dates?_ ”

A pause over the phone. “Yes. Exactly. One dinner date, that’s it.”

Ben ran his fingers through his long black hair, combing out the giant knot at the nape of his neck that resulted from the nap. “Finn, I—”

“ _Please_. R's real name is Rey. She’s basically my baby sister. A date with you would be my birthday present to her. You wouldn’t have to lie about anything. She’d know I hired you. I wouldn’t be asking you to do this if I didn’t know for sure she’d treat you well.”

 _Rey._ Ben tapped on the photo again and noticed that P was tagged. _Finn must’ve forgot I can see this stuff._ He went to P—or “Phasma Parnasso’s” account and found a picture of the tall Amazon hugging a shorter dark haired man. _Damn, he_ is _pretty cute._

“With _me?”_ Ben scoffed, running his free hand over his jaw. He needed to shave. “Does your ‘Rey’ friend know that _I_ look like?”

“She said her Omega man could look like our ugly-as-sin boss and she’d be in heaven. _That_ would be the last thing I would worry about. Did you _really_ look at her? Look at her again. She’s unusual looking too for who she is.”

Ben went back to Finn’s photo and looked at the smaller brunette woman. A throb between his legs sent a shiver of pleasure ran up his spine. After a full forty-five seconds of deliberation, he made up his mind. _The date will end badly, but why the hell not._

“...Fine. I’ll do it, but my rate’s got to go up for something that’s completely outside what I usually offer.”

“Really?” Finn sounded a bit shocked, like he didn’t expect Ben to go through with it so easily. “How about double your usual hourly rate with me for a two and a half hour dinner date and an additional 25% tip? Paid all up front. You come clean-shaven, hair down, and in your nicest suit to the restaurant. I’ll take care of everything else, including the check. Got it?”

Ben laughed. “You must really love this girl, Mr. Trooper.”

Finn didn’t detect the slight sarcasm in Ben’s voice. “I love her with my whole heart, Kylo. I’ll continue loving her from afar until the day I die, sexual alignment be damned.”

Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise to Finn’s confession. “Very well, then. We have a deal. Let me look at my schedule and determine my evening availability. I will get back to you by Friday.”

“We’ll sort out the details then. Thanks, dude.”

Ben ended the call and flopped back down on the couch.

_Rey. Rey, Rey, Rey. Gorgeous, unlucky Rey. Do not think too badly of me when we meet._

He picked up his personal phone and looked at her picture for a third time. Ben felt his heartbeat quicken through his wrists and throat. 

_Am I…nervous?_


	2. An Awkward(?) Date

Rey hopped up and down in place, trying to bring blood back into her lower extremities. She’d picked her favorite date outfit for the occasion: a well-loved forest green fit and flare dress, a creamy brown faux suede duster jacket, and suede boots. Warm, but not warm enough for Theed in the throes of winter right before snowfall. The weather forecast predicted that snow starting was in about three hours: it certainly looked like it. The temperature was dropping down now into the high thirties. The gray sky above looked heavy and ready to break open with snowflakes.

Rey stuffed her hands in her pockets to keep from nervously picking the mascara off her eyelashes. She kept the hair and makeup simple and business-like: hair half up, mascara, brown eyeliner, a bit of concealer for one angry zit almost in her hairline by her right temple, and a red lip. She aimed for something that said, “I’m _not_ a workaholic whose best friend bought her a date with an expensive escort for her birthday.”

Finn told her to meet the man here in front of the restaurant at 7 o’clock on the dot. If she was more than fifteen minutes late, he warned, “Kylo Ren” would leave. She would never tell Finn, but the idea of being late to this date freaked her so much that she ordered her Uber forty minutes early for a twenty minute ride. And now here she was at 6:49PM, standing outside under the restaurant’s awnings for the past nine minutes. The Millennium Falcon was allegedly one of the best eats in Theed. Of course, that was according to a tipsy Poe when Finn marched back into the club and told Rey what he had done.

Red velvety drapes covered the restaurant’s windows, preventing Rey from people watching while she waited. The main door swung open and a couple stepped out, carrying the smell of garlic and seared steak out onto the street on their clothes. Rey’s mouth watered. _Thank the Daughter that Finn’s paying._ She hadn’t eaten anything since 10AM out of nervousness and desperately craved buttery mashed potatoes.

Rey checked her watch. 6:54PM. _Damn._ She ducked out from under the awning onto the sidewalk and looked in both directions of the street to see if a man who could possibly look like her date was coming her way. Finn refused to show her pictures and she couldn’t find anything about a “Kylo Ren” online. In Rey’s mind, Mr. “Ren” looked like Dopheld Mitaka with blond hair. _He has to be at least passably attractive, right? He’s a sex worker, after all._ Looking both ways one more time and finding no one, she ducked back under the awning for some shelter from the wind that was picking up. Busy Theed was surprisingly quiet for a Thursday night, with only a few stragglers trying to make it to their destination before the snow. She shifted her purse over her shoulder—Finn told her that she wouldn’t need to show papers, but she brought hers just in case.

Rey glanced at her watch again. 6:57PM. _Shoot. What…what if he doesn’t show?_ Her heart gave an unexpected squeeze in anticipation. Usually she wasn’t on pins and needles before first dates like this.

That’s when the black limousine pulled up. The driver, a towering beast of a man with a barely maintained mane of golden-brown hair and a matching beard, hopped out and opened the backseat door. Another man got out. This one locked eyes with Rey without a moment’s hesitation. “Hello. Are you Rey Johnson?”

Rey froze. Kylo Ren, in a fitted black two piece suit and burgundy tie, now strode towards her with an easy but adorably pigeon-toed confidence.

“Ms. Johnson?” He repeated his question. He stopped about three feet away from her.

Rey stood there like a deer in headlights for what must have been eight seconds but felt like three minutes, taking in the sight of this stranger. Long black hair worn long and fashionably tousled back. An unusual, but fetching face. Prominent brow ridge, Roman nose, dark brown eyes, and full lips. Kissable lips. _Stop that_. Rey chided herself. _This is a technically business meeting. See? He’s in a business suit. The buttons are straining to keep his shirt closed, but it’s still appropriate attire nonetheless._

She stuck out her hand. “My apologies, I wasn’t sure who I was expecting. I am she. Call me Rey.” She broke into her wide “business professional” smile and matching vocal tone, keeping steady eye contact. _Shit. No commands. Phrase everything as questions. You just met him._ “Mr. Kylo Ren, I presume? Would you like to see my papers?”

Kylo laughed, a deep-bellied sound to her ears. “Your presumption is correct. Please call me Kylo. And no worries, I do not need your papers. Finn provided me with pictures of you and gave me the general identification information I needed.”

It wasn’t until he stepped forward and met her handshake that his scent smacked her right in the face. _Oh my god. I want to lick his hand._ “Are you….are you wearing perfume or do you use a particularly scented shampoo?” Rey died inside as soon as she said it. _No direct questions that could be construed as of a sexual nature._

Kylo didn’t appear to take offense to the question, instead offering Rey a polite, close-lipped smile that matched his soft eyes. He closed the distance between them, leaving about four inches of space between his chest and hers. He leaned forward and spoke into her ear, using a low, velvety tone, “No to each. I skipped my scent suppressants for the past three days and I’m a week out from my heat.” He paused briefly before adding, “Do you like it?” The question came out more breathy than probably intended.

“Absolutely,” Rey whispered back, her throat dry. “Risky move though. But don’t worry! I’ll protect you tonight.”

Rey heard Kylo’s breath hitch in his throat. He swallowed. She mentally kicked herself again. Finn gave her _150 minutes_ for a fancy steak dinner with a hot Omega man to fill her empty void of romantic companionship, and here she was letting the minutes slip by. She had no time for weird and borderline kinky flirtation fueled by their biological proclivities when food was on the line.

She stepped back and looked up into his face. Little dark moles dotted his cheeks and forehead above his eyebrows. _Damn, he’s cute._ “Ready to go in, warm up, and get something to eat?”

Kylo Ren nodded, studying her face with scholarly intensity for a brief few moments before answering. “Of course I am. Lead the way.”

***

They sat at a secluded booth, tucked away from prying ears and eyes besides the couple of wait staff would come to check in on them. The restaurant was simply decorated with sophisticated black and white decorations, with the only color being the velvet red drapes covering the large windows.

Her sweating hadn’t subsided by the time the wait staff seated them and Kylo had picked a pricey bottle of red wine from the alcohol list. “Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon,” he said. She balked at the $135 price tag. That would be about two weeks of opulent home cooked meals for her. When it arrived, Rey watched Kylo effortlessly palm the entire bottle, fingertips to thumb touching, and empty the contents into their glasses. Hers first, his second.

She stole another look of Kylo over the menu she was pretending to pour over. Kylo, squeezed into the booth across from her, surveyed the menu as well, brows slightly furrowed. _This man can’t be an Omega. He’s too big. Aren’t most Omega men no taller than Doph and fairly slim?_ Kylo was built like a refrigerator. He could probably bench-press more than most of her unit could when they were deployed and in peak physical condition. _What could_ I _protect him from?_

Another waft of his scent hit her square in the nostrils again. She dabbed nervously at first her mustache and then the sweat glands on the insides of her wrists with her napkin. _Gosh, he’s definitely an Omega from that smell. Finn didn’t warn me that he would smell_ that _good,_ she thought bitterly. … _Does he smell like this to other people? Thank the Maker for PorgCorp blockers and suppressants._ Otherwise she’d be straining to bend him over the table.

“I—I have to ask,” Rey finally broke the silence, “and please don’t answer this if it’s too personal, but your scent…” She put down the menu and picked up her glass by the stem, swirling the wine within. She felt her face flush and continued, “Don’t think of me as too naïve when I ask you this, as I’m sure Finn has told you, I’ve never been with or even generally been around a man—” She struggled for the appropriate wording, “like you. I’ve had brief affairs with cisgender women of your…alignment? and they smelled much different than you. Still sweet, but they had more floral and fruity scents? The ones that stand out to me include rose, hydrangea, peaches and cantaloupe. Is there a difference between differently gendered O’s?” she laughed self-deprecatingly. “I’m sorry, I should have Googled more of these really basic questions before I arrived—”

Kylo interrupted her, the slightest ghost of a worried face flitting across his features. “Please ask me whatever you’d like. I’ll let you know if I can’t answer anything. Also, you don’t have to tap-dance around alignments when you talk. I’m an Omega man and you’re an Alpha woman. There is no shame in that. It’s who we are.” He took a sip of the wine. “To answer your question, I’ve noticed that the core notes of Omega male scents remind Alphas of domestic activities. Omega cisgendered females are usually have more…smells that you’d find out nature. Unfortunately, I do not know what Omegas who identify on the rest of the gender spectrum smell like, so I wouldn’t be of help addressing the entirety of your question. Now I’m curious,” he continued, “to know what you interpret _my_ scent as.”

Rey let out an unintentional sharp, nervous giggle. “Well…definitely a warm, ambery, and sweet scent.” She inhaled deeply after fifteen minutes of attempted subtle mouth breathing. Her eyes watered from her overstimulated nose. “Top notes of petrichor and old parchment, followed by a strong heart note of honey-covered beeswax with a pinch of leather, and finally a strong base note of tonka bean with that classic vanilla-ish and almond-y smell.”

“Impressive,” Kylo nodded approvingly, “you describe fragrances well. I’ve never heard it described with that much detail.”

“Thank you.” Rey gingerly dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her napkin. “Long story kind of short, my grandfather was a perfumer.”

Kylo leaned forward. “How interesting.”

“I spent the summers with him from the ages of seven to twelve. Where I’m from, A’s—sorry, _Alphas,_ like to recreate their scent for their partners and give it to them as a token of deep affection, especially right before they go away on tour or abroad for an extended period of time. Their partners would spray the fragrance we made on their bedsheets or blankets. To help coping with the distance and the like, you know? My nose has always been exceptionally sensitive, so he’d put me in charge of sniffing the dirty shirts that customers bring in and dictate what I smelled to him while he layered the perfumes. Admittedly, it was a weird pastime for a grandfather and granddaughter to enjoy doing together, but I have very fond memories of it. He died the year I turned thirteen. When I presented as an Alpha at fourteen, my foster mom, who was friends with my grandad, said it was because I built up such a tolerance and knowledge of Alpha scents that I’d never be happy with an Alpha partner. So, she figured my body thought, ‘Why not become one myself?’” Rey grinned. “I mean it would explain ‘this,’ wouldn’t it?” she said, gesturing to herself. “Now I have a close to encyclopedic knowledge of Alpha fragrances to impress fellow Alphas at dinner parties, down to being able to pretty accurately guess what they do for work.”

“Really? Hmm…what you deduce anything from my scent?” Kylo brushed his thumb back and forth over his bottom lip in a careless gesture.

 _Shit. He’s hot._ Rey blinked and forced her eyes from his lips back to his eyes. She was surprised that Kylo was following her nervous babble with such _interest_. She _hated_ empty air with strangers. At this point, Rey’s dates usually began to tune out and politely nod in her perfumery story.

“Full disclosure: I know _nothing_ about Omega scents. I’m flying by the seat of my pants here.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “Well…you have that mild petrichor top note, which is a _really_ common masculine Alpha scent, so—” She felt heat rise in her cheeks, “your...sex worker activities, maybe? At minimum, you spend time with a lot of Alpha males. Oh gosh, I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me—”

“You’re correct.” Kylo leaned back and gave her that soft close-lipped smile again. Rey’s stomach flopped over in response. “I take pride in my work. Don’t feel like you have to tiptoe around what I do.”

“Well, you know what they say. Love your job and you’ll never work a day in your life!” Rey took a sip of wine and cringed internally at such a lame response. “Um, back on topic: the two other notes that strike me as really unique are the smell of leather and old parchment. When you’re not moonlighting as an escort, are you a…bookbinder?”

Kylo laughed. “I make more money in my day job than a bookbinder and a regular escort would make in a year combined. Not a bookbinder.”

“Oh, I—”

“—How else was I able to afford the limo?”

Rey gasped. “I thought Finn paid for that too!”

“I wanted to insert a bit of my personal flavor.” Kylo’s warm eyes sparkled mischievously. “It’s not every day I get to meet a woman like yourself. But! You’re in the right line of thinking. I am _deeply_ passionate about calligraphy. I handle expensive parchments and leathers on a near daily basis.”

“Really…? Calligraphy?!”

“Yes.”

“I never would have guessed that in a million years.”

“Not all of us list cooking, needlework, and baking as our favorite hobbies.” Kylo winked.

“I was _not_ trying to imply anything of that nature.” A brief rise of panic erupted in Rey’s chest.

“I’m messing with you, Rey.” Her name came out low and buttery on his tongue. _Wow._ “You don’t strike me as the type to assume such a thing.”

She blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Kylo. For listening to me. It's been a long time since someone has.”

***

After a long and enthusiastic conversation about pen nibs and the superiority of Aquarelle watercolor paper, a waiter came to take their orders. Rey, after asking the waiter for his opinion on three different dishes, decided on a flank steak (rare) with a side of mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Kylo ordered the salmon.

Rey and Kylo sat in surprisingly easy silence after the waiter left, though Rey fought against every impulse to begin another rambling story to fill the gap. They politely avoided each other’s eyes, but Rey kept stealing little peeks over at her gigantic Omega companion. Her profuse sweating subsided a just little—her armpits were soaked, but based on what came off of her napkin, her makeup wasn’t ruined.

Kylo unrolled his napkin onto his lap and laid out his silverware properly on the table. Rey noticed this little gesture and wondered if he grew up in a well-to-do household, or if he just picked it up from Maker knows where. Rey slowly copied him. Kylo also frequently adjusted his position in the booth seat. He was too tall and long-limbed for it, but she gave him silent kudos for trying to make it work. _Kylo has to be at least as tall as Phasma._ She mentally kicked herself again. She should have requested a table where he could stretch out his legs.

“Ms. Johnson.” Kylo said, once again reverting back to a façade of polite professionalism. “I’m sure you have plenty of more questions for me. Let me reiterate: I will answer to the best of my ability.”

 _He’s making sure I get Finn’s money worth,_ Rey internally grimaced. Curiosity kills the cat, but it wasn’t like she got to pick the brain of a high class escort every Thursday night. “Well then…what made you decide to pick up sex work?”

Kylo went a shade paler and looked around their corner of the restaurant for any prying ears. Rey knew she was pushing the line, but she _had_ to know why a strangely handsome man like him was being paid to eat with her. She was never very good at being indirect with pressing questions, though she tried.

Kylo’s jaw tightened. “I’m…afraid I cannot answer that.”

Rey’s cheeks went pink. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. How about…what does being an escort entail? Just speaking in generalities of course. Please don’t share what you don’t desire to share.”

Kylo took a sip of wine. “More than I originally thought it would, to be honest with you.” He ran his finger around the rim of the wine glass. “It’s not just about being good in the bedroom. You prioritize your physical wellbeing, sexual health, and mental wellbeing first and foremost. I go to the gym daily, sleep well, eat cleanly, practice excellent personal hygiene, stay on really good birth control, and get tested twice a month for STIs. In regards to your mental wellbeing, a good part of that is knowing how to emotionally prepare yourself to _be_ a good escort. Right now, I have five clients in total. All Alphas.”

“One of them is Finn?”

Kylo paused. “Yes. Finn Trooper is one of my clients. I like him very much, which is why I agreed to this outing with you.”

Rey smiled politely. _Finn has excellent taste in men_. “Of course. Please continue.”

“Well, I see each client usually about two or four times a month. I’ve known all of them for more than a year and a half, so I am required to remember tons of information about each client. I have notebooks on each one where I jot down information that they disclose to me: sexual turn-ons and kinks, limits, names of their immediate family members, recent successes they’ve experienced, and their worries. I become a confidante for most.” Kylo shrugged. “I’ve found that most people do not hire people like me unless something is _not_ going their way. Sometimes they’re unlucky in love,” his eyes briefly flitted up to meet Rey’s before they dropped back onto his silverware, “sometimes they’re sexually curious, but more often than not it’s for painful reasons.”

“Like what?”

“Sometimes their partners cheat. Most of the time, at least with the older clients, it’s the death of their bonded mate.”

“Oh…I’m so sorry.” Rey’s voice came out barely louder than a whisper. “That’s absolutely devastating.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “If I lost my ‘one,’ I have no idea what I’d do.” She look down into her wine glass. “The idea of loving someone so much that to lose them is to never recover...it’s like you’re giving a part of your own being to them and when they go, you can never have it back. I bet just the feeling of their hands in mine would occasionally fill me with terror with the thought I could lose them in a day or in seventy years. Just…what an amazing and overwhelming feeling it must be. I’d like to find someone to love that hard, I think,” Rey admitted sheepishly. “I’m not sure if I believe in the whole ‘soulmates’ thing, but I dream about bonding to a partner almost every two weeks. I hope I get the privilege of experiencing it eventually.” She glanced at Kylo’s face. He smiled at her, once again close-lipped and with a carefully guarded expression. 

“It is what it is.” Kylo said lightly. “I try to comfort them as much as I can without getting too emotionally invested. While I might be able to alleviate some of their physical and emotional needs, I can’t replace a bonded partner.”

“You’re…you’re such a good boy, Kylo.” Rey leaned into the table and propped herself up on her elbows, flashing a shy grin. _Shoot. Shit. SHIT. Too familiar._ She forced herself back into a neutral face, leaned back and assumed a more business-like posture. _No compliments or praise that might put an Omega in a compromising position. One of the first rules you learned about alignment in sex education in Year 7. You idiot. You just ruined the night. Good job._

Kylo froze in his seat. “Excuse me for a minute, Ms. Johnson. I have something I need to attend to. I will be back in five minutes.” He stood stiffy and bolted towards the restrooms.

***

 _Fuck._ In the privacy of a stall within the empty unisex bathroom, Ben checked Iris _._ He wasn’t mistaken. The tracking app said _seven_ days before day one of his heat. He should be starting the bulking phase tomorrow. He was _way_ too far out to feel _this_ wet between the legs already. At least _four_ days too early to start lubricating. Ben knew his biology like clockwork with the help of birth control and accessory estrus blocker implants in addition to his oral medication defending him against abnormalities. 

_Good boy._ Rey’s warm words echoed in his mind. His clothes started to itch like mad against his bare skin, a sensation similar to dozens of ants marching up and down his buttocks and back. Ben took off his jacket and hung it on the provided hook. He unbuckled his belt and untucked his shirt. He pulled his pants and briefs down to his knees and sat on the toilet. His underwear was soaked, but checking his pants, there wasn’t a wet spot in the crotch. _Thank the Maker. That would have been humiliating. And thank the Daughter for slick-catching products._ Ben always carried a couple unflatteringly-termed “lube sticks” in the inside pocket of his jacket _just in case_ he or an Omega friend had an emergency situation in public. For him, they would come in handy tonight. 

Ben leaned back and rested his head against the wall, trying to concentrate on his breathing and get the sensation under control. The itching migrated to his chest, centering on his nipples. He pulled the fabric of his shirt way from his skin in an attempt curb the newfound sensitivity. Finally, Ben unbuttoned the front of his shirt, pull up his undershirt over his pectorals and bare his chest, pulling his shoulders back and slightly arching his chest upwards. This helped somewhat.

Ben prided himself on his superb self-control around Alphas. Even early in his career when he was on shit-tier, company health insurance-provided heat blockers, his clients’ scents, un-medicated and intense in the deep throes of their ruts, never made him lose his commonsense. Ben couldn’t recall a moment where he felt compelled to strip naked for an Alpha until _now._

At first glance, Rey smelled absolutely awful. She and Finn must be on the same company-required medication, because they both smelled like flammable solvent paint strippers. Ben _hated_ kissing Finn on his scent suppressants. Even Finn’s saliva carried traces of the scent.

But still…“ _Such a good boy,”_ combined with that proclamation of deep adoration and a desire to bond... Ben suppressed a whimper. When he leaned in to tell Rey that he was off his own scent suppressants just to tease, he caught a whiff of _something_ dangerously appealing under her medication. He noticed that she began sweating in response to his own scent in the restaurant, allowing more bits of her natural scent to pierce through the foul haze. _Lemongrass and…pine resin?_ He frantically racked his brain for good descriptors. _Maybe basil?_

Ben opened his legs wider and experimentally inserted two fingers. They slipped in easily. _Fuck._ He shuddered, fighting the urge to shamelessly finger himself in the bathroom of The Millennium Falcon. Ben pulled them back out, noting the thick ropey trail of slick coating them. _Great. I’m lubricating like I’m in early heat_ and _I’m dehydrated. At least I’m not super sensitive yet or starting to lose my mental facilities._ Two tiny victories between two major blunders. After the date, he’d have to get home and start meal prep earlier than expected. First thing tomorrow morning, Ben would call into the office for early heat leave and cancel his escorting appointments.

Ben heard the restroom door open and shut.

“Kylo?” A sweet and concerned voice called out to him. He bolted upright, snapped his knees shut, and reached for toilet paper to wipe his hand with.

“Y-yes?”

“The food’s here.” Rey said. “I…I wanted to make sure you didn’t fall into the toilet.”

“I’m sorry. I needed to use the restroom and to adjust my clothing,” Ben said, waddling over to his jacket with his pants around his mid-calves to pull a lube stick from the inside pocket. _Not a complete lie._ “I’ll be out in a couple minutes. Thank you for checking on me.”

“No problem.”

***

Rey closed the restroom door behind her and made her way back to their table. _Why the hell did I go and invade his privacy like that?_ She sat down in front of her steaming steak, weaved her fingers together, and squeezed until the bones in her hands hurt. She’d seen Phasma call Mitaka by that affectionate term once during a house party at Poe’s place. The way he looked at her… _so in love._ Poe and Finn laughed about it afterwards, but Rey replayed that memory over and over again for the next two days.

 _Relationships take work,_ Phasma told her. Rey had to _work_ to have someone look at her like that, right? If so, she was being hugely unprofessional. This was their _first_ interaction. When Rey really liked her date’s first impressions, she always would semi-subconsciously fantasize about her future life and children with them about forty-five minutes into the date. It was a horrible habit that she'd prefer to take to her grave than to ever reveal to anyone, but Rey couldn’t seem to shake it.

As sudden as it was, Rey _really_ liked Kylo. She imagined their first as a daughter with his fine skin, wavy hair, and facial moles, but with her jaw and nose. She’d be tall as a young woman, but less broad-shouldered than hopefully her or Kylo, perhaps taking after a grandparent. After their daughter, they’d have the identical twins that all Alpha-Omega couples seem to have at least one pair of. Rey would arrive home from work later than he would in the evenings. She’d occasionally find Kylo and the two-year-old twins sound asleep and curled up together on their bed in the master bedroom. After she brushed strands of hair out of his face and kissed him gently, she’d go downstairs to wash dishes from dinner. 

Her rational side stepped in. _STOP, REY. If he didn’t smell like the sexiest thing on this planet, you’d not be having these thoughts. If he was an Alpha? Admit it. You’d find him funny-looking. Look at his weak chin and giant nose. You haven’t even seen his ears. Plus, your relationship would be more complicated than what you envision in your daydreams. He’s a busy person with many important obligations. Would he stop his very lucrative side gig as an escort and abandon his other professional relationships, even if he found you appealing for a little while? No. He’s creating a fantasy for you,_ Rey thought bitterly _. The performance he’s putting on is the same as you flattering a potential client to secure a contract for work. Kylo Ren isn’t his real name. You know nothing about him. He probably has a real partner waiting for him at home. I bet he’s been in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes because you went and crossed a line you weren’t supposed to cross._

“Thank you for your patience, Ms. Johnson.” Kylo squeezed his giant frame back into the booth. “The food looks delicious.”

Rey’s eyes glanced up at Kylo and then back down at her own dish. “It does, doesn’t it?”

They ate in relative silence, stopping only occasionally briefly comment on their meals or the impending snow. Kylo had impeccable table manners. Rey stopped three times with the fork halfway to her mouth to watch how nimbly he held the knife and fork to cut the fish into small pieces. How did his giant sausage fingers not get in the way?

Kylo took notice the third time. “It’s excellent salmon, Ms. Johnson. Would you like to try it?”

Rey’s heart squeezed at the offer but she shook her head. “Thank you Kylo, but I’m allergic to seafood.” _A lie. You’re a whore for seafood. But you can’t delude yourself about this arrangement. Just because he smells good doesn’t mean it’s gonna go anywhere._ Kylo pressed his lips into a thin line and directed his attention back on his own meal.

Rey checked her watch under the table after she finished her meal. 9:10PM. _Shit._ She let her overthinking sour the mood. Fifteen more minutes and the dream was over. She’d go home and probably get out her half-eaten tub of chocolate ice cream and cry over a sappy movie until two in the morning. It wasn’t Finn’s intention to create more melancholy, but Rey would directly forbid any more dates with expensive escorts or equally strange ideas as future birthday gift ideas. The waiter began clearing their dishes.

Kylo also checked the time on his phone, again tentatively breaking the relative silence. “It appears that our time is coming to a close, Ms. Johnson.”

“Likewise, Mr. Ren. Thank you for your time. I truly appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to do this for Finn and me.” _You already fucked up the night. You need to focus on damage control now._

“It was my pleasure, Ms. Johnson. My ride will be here in about five minutes,” Kylo said. “How will you be getting home?”

“I’ll get an Uber.”

They left their booth. Rey shrugged on her coat after getting it back from the coatroom, and quietly joined Kylo who was waiting for her inside by at the restaurant entrance. He held the door for her to leave first like the gentleman he was. While waiting under the awning, Rey was once again smacked across the face by Kylo’s scent as he mindlessly adjusted his hair _. Wait a minute._

She checked her watch. 9:28PM.

“Mr. Ren.” She addressed Kylo nonchalantly, letting her eyes wander to the right side of his neck in view. The egg shaped gland was slightly raised and was flushed to a very light purple color against his delicate pale skin—beginning to swell for heat. Her belly clenched.

 _Shit. I_ really, really like _him. I want him to be my little spoon and I want to smell his hair. Fine, emotional Rey. You win. Here goes nothing_.

“Yes?”

“I—I want to see you again. I’ll pay appropriately, of course, for next time. May…may I have your number?”

Kylo hesitated and slowly exhaled, his breath smoky in the dropping temperature. He stepped closer, leaving about a foot between them. “On one condition.” He began working his jaw.

“Yes?”

“If you decide to schedule another meeting with me, will you be off of your scent suppressants?” They made eye contact as soon as the sentence left his lips. The way he said it was much different than his tone throughout the rest of the night. Not overly confident, nor velvety or flirty. _Shy? Hopeful, almost?_

“Of course. I can make that happen.”

“You have a deal then.”

Kylo pulled his work phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Rey. She quickly sent a text to herself. She then took her own phone out to make sure she received it before tucking it back in her purse.

He held out his hand back out, palms up, to take his phone back. _Okay, Rey. One last ballsy move._

Rey cupped his open hand in one of hers. “Do forgive my awkwardness this evening. You’re beautiful and I am very lucky to have made your acquaintance tonight.”

She chastely kissed the center of Kylo's palm. She brushed her lips back and forth across the kissed spot twice before stepping back and placing the phone back into his hand. She looked up into his face one last time as the limo pulled up. Kylo stared at her with minimally concealed shock. A blotchy blush spread over his handsome features.

“Good night, Kylo. I look forward to a conversation about reed pens next time we meet.” She grinned in spite of herself. _Success._

“Good night…Rey. Please text me and let me know when you get home safely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos, reviews and bookmarks on my weird little story! I appreciate them deeply. <3 Bonus points if you caught my 35MM reference.


	3. A Short(?) Wait

Ben managed to keep his cool until the limo was six minutes down the road.

“Chewie,” Ben pulled off his jacket and worked his necktie loose.

His driver, Mr. Cheward Bacca, glanced at Ben through the driver’s mirror.

“Yes, Mr. Solo?” Chewie had an extremely thick accent that Ben could never place and that Chewie wouldn’t reveal.

“Turn up the music and put up the divider. Please.”

“Yussiree.” With a whirring noise, the divider went up. The Ska music Chewie had on the speakers, though now muffled through the barrier, grew louder.

The antsy feeling was back again, their little imaginary feet prancing up and down his torso. Ben quickly shed his shirt and undershirt in a desperate attempt to evade the sensation. He lightly trailed two fingers down his sternum and shivered. He was already more sensitive than he was at the restaurant. _Strange._

Ben took off his belt. If he was too loud, Chewie would be able to hear him. Chewie already knew more or less of what the son and future successor of his boss got up to most evenings, but Ben preferred to keep him in the dark as much as possible. It was easier that way. If Chewie spilled the beans over a couple too many vodka gimlets about Ben borrowing a company limo for his side gig, Han would be livid.

Ben pulled out his work phone, went to his call history, and tapped on Finn’s name. He tucked the phone against his ear.

Finn picked up after two rings. “Yo, man. How’d the date go?”

“ _Fuck_ , Finn.” Ben groaned, shimmying out of his pants. “What did you make me do?”

“…Huh? You told me you were okay to do the dinner today.” Notes of worry shined through in Finn’s tone.

Ben reached into his boxer briefs. The stick kept him dry, but he was hard. He peeled down his underwear to his knees and stared at his dick in all of its three and a half inch glory. For Ben, strong erections like this only occurred during estrus. He’d been on blockers preventing _true_ estrus cycles since he was twenty-three. Had it been that long since he was almost _penetrably_ hard?

“Rey is prettier in person than in her pictures. We were extremely formal with each other, but _I think_ there were little…sparks of _something_ between us. I like the way she tells stories. And, uh, I—I think Rey’s making me go into heat early.” 

“… _What?_ ”

“You tell me! I’ve worked as an escort for _years,_ Finn. This is the first time I’ve reacted this badly to an Alpha. I thought I was good for tonight but apparently I wasn’t. My mistake,” Ben laughed incredulously. He inspected the scent glands on his wrists and ran a hand down his throat. They were all starting to _really_ swell. _Shit._

Finn hesitated, obviously unsure of what to say. “Are you okay?”

Ben pumped his cock a couple of times and shuddered. Waves of confusion and discomfort were replaced with pleasure. “Not sure. I feel very _off_.”

“Maker, Ben, did you two _do_ anything?”

“…We didn’t.” Ben felt his face flush at the memory of her soft lips against the middle of his palm. _What are you in, middle school?_ He gripped the head of his cock and edged slowly with even strokes. “We didn’t do anything. I met her at the restaurant at 7:00, we had some nice conversation and a quiet dinner, and then parted ways at 9:30 as we agreed upon. Didn’t have any trouble paying with your card on file.” Ben’s head buzzed from the onslaught of serotonin. “…Tell me something. What does Rey smell like under that awful suppressant you two have to take? It’s driving me up the wall.”

“Rey…smells like Rey? Decently appealing for an Alpha but it isn’t like Omegas or even Betas take much notice.”

“Try a little harder.”

Finn inhaled slowly over the phone. “She’s citrusy-smelling, I guess? Kylo—” 

“More descriptors, please.” Ben hated how needy he sounded, but at this point he was beginning to not care. He began edging a bit faster with his legs fully extended and toes pointed, keeping his breathing light in an attempt to not tip Finn off.

Finn sighed. “Bitter orange, sea water, and cedar. Maybe some spices too. I don’t know. Happy?”

“Yes!” Ben gasped. He could imagine such a scent hiding under clouds of paint stripper stench. His hips bucked in a weak dry orgasm. It wasn’t satisfying, but it caused the itching to subside for the meantime.

“Shit, are you masturbating right now?” Finn's voice rose to almost a squeak for his next question. “Is your dick working?”

“‘Yes’ to the first question.” With his wits a bit more about him, Ben lowered his voice into the silky tone that Finn went crazy for in the bedroom. “And strangely enough, ‘yes’ to the second. I have no idea how, but, again, I suspect it’s something to do with Rey.” He thumbed the edge of his now half-mast cock's head. “ _Fuck_. I was so close to asking her if she needed a ride home, but I think I would have started begging for her to fuck me right here in the car.”

“Kylo.” Finn’s tone went from confused to serious.

“Yeah?” Ben pulled up his briefs back up and retrieved his pants from the floor. 

“If you’re planning to try and get Rey as a client or even as a friends with benefits type of arrangement with her—”

“I know…she told me.” Ben said softly with sudden post-nut clarity. “Her endgame is a serious, bonded partner.” He pulled back on his pants and began awkwardly looping his belt back on while sitting. “But, Finn…she told me—she wants to see me again. As a client. And…I think I want to see her again too. Soon.” He paused, debating whether or not he should continue in this line of thinking. “Finn, what if I actually try?”

“Try what?”

“To date her. Discontinue seeing you and my other clients.”

“Dating her seriously.” Finn went from serious to incredulous. “Kylo.”

“What?”

“How can I give my theoretical thumbs up to you, a guy who is, what, _around_ _ten years?_ older than her, to try and _date_ one of my best friends who I love dearly when I know very little about you? Two years, and I don’t even know your first name, let alone what you do for your day job. I've been to your fucking apartment, you could be a mob boss for all I know. We avoid these conversations for a reason. How can I trust you to be truthful to her? How do I know that you’ll actually treat her well when you’re not being paid for it? Are you hearing yourself, man? Don't let her scent get to you. You wanting to try going serious with her is based on _one_ meeting.”

Ben felt heat from a mixture of frustration and shame rise in his face. “Finn, I can’t tell you details about my personal life now, but…if she likes the ‘real’ me, I’ll tell you everything you want to know if I can gain your favor as her friend and confidante.”

Finn’s tone shifted once again from incredulous to gentle, the one he used when they decided to push Ben’s limits or tried something new out in the bedroom. “You know better than anyone that she’s currently interested with the façade of the put-together Omega man she just went to dinner with, not the messy Omega I suspect you to be. You’re a good actor, Kylo, but you have frequent nightmares.”

***

When Rey got back to her messy apartment, she grabbed her computer and flopped down on her bed. She checked her phone as the laptop booted up—no text from Kylo yet. She’d have to make the first text as promised.

_Hello Mr. Kylo Ren, I got home safely. Thank you again for the date tonight._

Rey looked at the text, frowned, and pressed send. She thanked him often tonight, but she surmised that the graciousness wouldn’t be taken the wrong way.

Rey turned her attention from her phone to computer. After hovering over the keyboard for several seconds, she pulled up Google and typed in: _Omega man anatomy._ Rey wasn’t a prude. She watched plenty of porn of Alpha women topping Omega men, but she’d never _actually_ paid attention to the anatomical terms. She knew anatomically what was considered “normal” genitalia—Beta genitalia. And, she surmised, the same general genitalia that biologically Alpha men and Omega women possess, minus the knotting and lubrication capacities.

She knew her own sexual anatomy. Enlarged clitoris forming the pseudo-penis. No external vaginal opening. Labia majora fused to form a pseudo-scrotum. Anus _._ Internally, she possessed more or less female anatomy. _A more appropriate term for our pseudo-penis would probably be ovipositor,_ Rey thought amusingly. _Instead of semen, we ejaculate an egg. We have mechanisms more akin to seahorses than other mammals. How strange it is when you think about it too hard._

Rey remembered Phasma chiding her for not getting her tubes tied. _“Remember, Rey,” she said over a mouthful of apple, “with Omega men, we don’t carry the kid in the end. Be responsible if you ever find yourself in that situation.”_ That was _technically_ not true. With surgical intervention and artificial insemination, an Alpha female _could_ carry a child, but it entailed irreversible damage to the external genitalia that required reconstructive surgery and diminished sexual satisfaction for the rest of her life. Not worth it.

The truth is Rey only _kinda_ knew Omega male anatomy. Secondary education schools didn’t teach it as part of sex education because of how comparatively few Omega males there were among the world’s population. Rey had to learn it through Wikipedia, porn, TMI discussions with Phasma, and a couple of sheepish anonymous posts on the Holonet.

Rey pulled up a chart of an Omega man with his legs spread and anatomical parts labelled on Google Images. _Pseudo-penis_ (small and non-functional for the purposes of impregnating another person) and… _the_ _pseudo-vagina and anus_. Oh, _the pseudo-vagina. What an antiquated name._ It was by all intents and purposes, Rey learned in her research, a vagina, albeit a mildly unusually shaped one. The Omega pseudo-penis was perched where the clitoris and its associated paraphernalia sit on Beta genital anatomy. Both sets of labia didn’t look much different. Rey learned from Wikipedia that though the openings of the Bartholin’s glands that secrete normal vaginal fluid in Betas were kinda positioned on either side of the vaginal opening in Betas, Omegas had equivalent glands that emitted clear slick (or in medical terms, hyperlubricating fluid) approximately once and a half inches into the vaginal canal, thus requiring menstrual-like products during heat.

Insemination occurred internally, and the Omega male had the internal anatomical equipment to carry the fetus to term. Realistically, however, very few had delivered children in the past seventy years. Omega men were required by law to be on birth control to prevent pregnancy and to curb severe slick-producing episodes (which, unless the Omega hydrates well and consumes electrolytes, can send them to the hospital). Female Alpha and male Omega couples needed difficult-to-obtain state permission to stop birth control and try for a pregnancy. Phasma and Doph got lucky in this respect because Doph had several family members who worked in the public sector. 

Kylo would be a beautiful dad. _Even more beautiful carrying your child._ Rey shivered. She felt a surge of coolness travel up her torso to her neck—not horniness or even arousal, but a feeling more akin to the two times she saw someone during her rut. Protective, comforting, enamored, attentive, generous, and maybe just a little bit possessive. Rey had the sudden urge to rip her comforter off her bed, pull her inherited quilts out of the closet, and begin building a nest. _How weird_.

After reviewing her Omega male anatomical terms several more times, Rey checked her phone again. A response from Kylo Ren.

_Hi Rey! You’re welcome! Glad you are safe! :^)_

Rey reread the message three times before responding.

_Before you go to bed, can I ask you three more questions?_

Kylo’s response was almost immediate.

_Sure! :-)_

Rey responded promptly.

_First question: How old are you?_

A pause.

_35 years, 2 months and 11 days! My joints still work surprisingly. :-D_

Rey smiled. _Does he always end sentences with an exclamation point and text emoticon?_

_Second question: What is your hourly rate?_

Rey’s palms began to sweat. Despite recent legislation, it was still technically illegal to pay for sex. _This isn’t a sexual encounter, Rey. You just want to get to know him better._

A longer pause.

_I charge on average $500-800 for an hour depending on my client’s requests! :-)_

She was going to kill Finn. _How the hell could he afford this man?_ After a brief flare of anger, Rey’s stomach dropped in disappointment. She began to type out her response to thank him yet again for his time and decline future meetings, when the texting bubble appeared with Kylo following up his statement. A second text popped up.

_I am willing to waive my rate depending on what you request._

Rey stared. No exclamation point. She typed out her response, read it twice, and sent it.

_Third question: May I attend to you during your upcoming heat? No sex. I can bring food, water, my own sleeping bag, and other supplies at your discretion. Granted, it’s a little soon and the suppressant smell won’t be gone, but it won’t be as bad as it was tonight. It’s okay if I can’t because I know this is a big request to ask of you._

Kylo did not respond for fifteen minutes. Rey put down her phone with bated breath and went to check her emails and change into her pajamas before bed. She took her blockers but left the suppressants untouched.

His next text was an address, followed by: _Could you get here by Saturday mid-morning? You don’t have to bring anything and you can verify my address with Finn! :-)_

“What did I get myself into?” muttered Rey in pleasant surprise and confusion.

She shot back with: _Two days? That isn’t enough time to flush the suppressant smell at all, but I am available this weekend and I can take off Monday and Tuesday if need be. I have PTO._

Kylo followed up with another text. _That’s fine, two nights without taking suppressants is enough for me! I’ll text you tomorrow with parking information and how to get into the apartment building!! :-D_

Rey, snuggled up in bed, typed out her last text as waves of sleepiness overtook her.

_I look forward to it. Once again, good night, Mr. Kylo._

She didn’t get his response until the next morning.

_Call me Ben. :^)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting a day early and extending the length of this fic by a chapter. Thank you for sticking with me so far! Bonus points if you catch my RLM reference.


	4. A Dire(?) State

“Hey. Can you wake up for me?” Upon feeling a hand rest on his shoulder, Ben jerked awake to see a shirtless Finn sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down over him. Ben laid on his side.

“What—” Ben made an effort to prop himself up on his elbow before mounting sensations of nausea, dehydration, and sheer _pain_ between his legs took over him.

“Shhhh. It’s 6:30AM on Friday. We’re in your apartment.” Finn grabbed an unopened Gatorade on the nightstand and opened it with a plastic _crack_. “You need to drink this. Come on.” He helped Ben sit up.

“…Why—” Ben’s thoughts were fuzzy as he took guided sips of Gatorade.

“Do you know why I’m here?” Finn said.

“I don’t—” Ben’s eyelids felt swollen.

“—You called me at midnight sobbing. You begged me to come over. I found you naked, sitting in your own slick, and trying to cool down on your bathroom tile. Do you remember that?”

Ben’s throat tightened. “…No? I’m sorry…” He felt like crying and masturbating the pain away.

“Maker, what happened to you? You usually handle heats so well…” Finn gently finger combed Ben’s sweaty hair back into a ponytail. Ben felt him secure it with a hand tie that he must have scrounged up in the bathroom. “Your neck glands were _deep violet,_ Kylo. I’ve never seen that before. I used one of your emergency blocker pens to bring the swelling down.”

Ben licked his cracked lips. “Might be estrus...it’s been _years_ since I went through one…was it always this awful…?”

Finn noticed Ben’s mouth and opened up a stick of lip balm that he had sitting at the ready on Ben’s nightstand. “I wouldn’t know.” He tilted Ben’s head up in his hand and gently applied it to his lips. “You smell like it though. Rey’s done a number on you, hasn’t she? _Maker_ , and it’s my fault for being impulsive and introducing you two so quickly. If I’d known it might be this dire, I would have been over here as soon as you called me.”

 _Rey._ Even her name was gorgeous. “Where is she?”

“Rey is probably getting ready for work despite the snowfall outside,” Finn said. “What I should be doing right now too.”

“What did we do last night?” Ben asked nervously. For many, “Omega-brain,” as Omegas jokingly called the commonly-held unmedicated mental state they could fall into during heat, held onto an irrational fear that if they were knotted by another Alpha that their desired Alpha would reject them. Ben knew rationally that this was the line of ridiculous logic he was falling into, but the sheer anxiety brought on by the thought of Rey refusing him in this condition was too much.

Finn unscrewed the Gatorade bottle again. “We didn’t do anything. I would never do anything with you not in your right state of mind. I cleaned you up and rested beside you so that you wouldn’t try anything stupid until you came more into your senses. Now, drink all of this before I leave.”

With some difficulty and assistance, Ben finished the Gatorade. Finn helped him lay back down onto his back.

“Look over here.” Finn transitioned back the arsenal of heat-coping items he gathered on the nightstand. Ben complied. “I laid out your oral heat blockers, some Ibuprofen, and some Vitamin B12. Take all three as soon as I’m gone. Drink one of these Gatorades every hour and a half. I set an alarm on your phone to make sure you do that.” He carefully worded everything as a command so Ben in this state compelled to follow. “Your body skipped bulking so as much as I know it sucks, you must eat something substantial. You have apples, cheese, and milk in the fridge, and cereal, breakfast bars, and crackers in the pantry. Eat something within the hour. I’ll bring you something with more fat and protein during my break today and some more groceries this evening.” 

“I will.”

“I set out more emergency pens and lube sticks too. They’re here. I couldn’t find where you keep your heat equipment but I trust you know where it is and that you can get to it while I’m gone. If you need anything else, call me. If you start feeling worse, call 911.”

“Okay…thank you.”

Finn moved Ben’s charging work phone from the nightstand to the right beside Ben’s head on the pillow. “You told me last night that Rey’s coming over tomorrow to attend to you and that you’re scared that you’re going to fuck it up.”

“I…still feel that way.” Ben fought to keep his voice from wavering.

“Don’t be. See? You have a new message from her on your phone. Rey’s a good person. She won’t let you down.”

Ben’s heart leaped up to his mouth as he gripped his phone awkwardly between two shaking hands and unlocked it to read the text. Thirty minutes ago, Rey responded to his text from last night. 

_Morning, Ben! How are you this morning?_

Ben felt a flash of guilt for getting to her text so slowly and typed out his response with unsteady fingers.

_Good morning Rey!! I’m okay! :^) I think I’m taking the day off of work!_

Finn stood. “Kylo. I’m heading out now. Cancel anything you need to cancel and go back to bed.” He talked toward to bedroom door and made a move to shut off the lights, saying, “I put my check on the nightstand behind the lamp.”

“Finn…what’re you paying me for—” 

“Nuh-uh,” Finn silenced him. “I’m keeping you in one piece for Rey now. My compassion for you stops at being your client. You will be paid accordingly to our contract.”

***

Mr. Kylo “Ben” Ren was a dramatically different person over text. Starting at 6:53AM the next day, Ben responded almost immediately to every text Rey sent his way. He made liberal use of text-based emoticons, image-based emojis, and a substantial number of exclamation marks and/or question marks at the end of thoughts. Long gone was her impression of Ben as a solemn, mature man with only refined tastes like expensive wine, calligraphy, and sex. The fantasy was alluring, sure, but complexity held her attention for longer than simplicity. Rey surprisingly didn’t mind how _enthusiastic_ Ben was over text, bouncing somewhere between sounding like a middle-aged dad who just discovered his phone’s emoji keyboard and well-spoken nerd her own age. She _really_ liked it, in fact. She didn’t feel like the obligatory and annoying third wheel like she always did with Finn and Poe, Phasma and Doph, or even Armitage and Rose for once.

With the big proposal submitted two days ago, Rey had very little work to do. After reviewing some plans and making a couple of calculations for upcoming projects, she found herself conversing with her Great Dane of a date about weird marginalia in medieval manuscripts under her desk in her cubicle.

“Hey, Rey.” She jumped at the voice and quickly shut her phone off. Looking up, she saw Poe peeking over the divider.

“Finn needs you in the break room for a few minutes.”

“Everything alright?”

Poe shrugged. “I’m just the messenger.”

Rey placed her phone face down on her desk and made a beeline for the break room. Finn sat at the lunch table with a mug of hot coffee in front of him. Seeing Rey, he gestured to the chair across to him. She sat. 

“Rey.”

“Hey! What’s up?”

“I have an important matter to discuss with you.” Finn stood and opened the break room door, poked his head out to survey the hallway for coworkers, and closed it again. 

“Yes? What is it?”

“Did you ask to see Kylo again after your date last night?”

“Yes.”

Finn circled the table. “Did you ask to see him during his _heat_?” Finn leaned over close to her and inhaled deeply.

“I did. Why?”

“When did you start your rut?”

Rey froze.

“I talked to Parnassos this morning. Your rut fucked up Kylo’s blockers,” Finn said.

“ _Whoah_. Wait a minute. I felt a little rut-ish last night but my blockers were working correctly! You know I don’t have strong ruts to begin with—”

“Parnassos’s pheromones did the same thing to Doph on their first date.”

“She’s _never_ told me that. Kylo’s been texting with me all morning. He told me that his heat came on early but that he’s feeling okay,” Rey shot back.

Finn sat back down. “Kylo called me in the middle of a psychogenic blackout last night after your outing and I had to stay the night. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Rey felt the same cool sensation she felt last night, this time emanating from her neck to her fingertips. “What? No…”

“The thing about him, Rey, is that he hides things well. Information about himself, his emotions…everything that is irrelevant to his work. Including how he acts during heat. He doesn’t let most clients attend to him for this every reason. I’ve attended to him about eight times since I started seeing him, but that’s only because we’ve become good friends. During most of his heats I’ve attended, if it wasn’t for his scent, you never would have guessed he was three days in. Kylo usually has excellent control, but he’s losing it because of you.”

“Me?” Rey’s mind raced. _Finn think he’s unreadable? He loves calligraphy and history. He can afford a limo, so he has to be at least somewhat wealthy. He blushes at hand kisses and has the cutest nervous voice. And Ben. Ben_ has _to be his real name. I learned all of that from_ one _date and some casual texting. Finn doesn’t know any of this?_

“When you go over Saturday, be prepared to knot him. He should be okay for today, I’m going to check on him during lunch and later this evening.”

Rey felt herself go red instantly. “We _just_ met. I’ve had my fair share of one night stands, but I want to take it slowly and get to know him. Not everything _needs_ to involve _sex_ —”

“This isn’t for you. You triggered Kylo into a state that looks awfully similar to estrus.”

“…Estrus? _How?_ ”

Rey hadn’t noticed how _exhausted_ Finn looked until now, with dark circles under his eyes and a five o’clock shadow. “Your guess is as good as mine, his, Parnassos’, or Doph’s. You’re clean and he’s on an excellent birth control implant and additionally got tested last week, so you might be able to go in without a condom…it’s easier to alleviate estrus symptoms for male Omegas to knot without physical barriers.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Finn rubbed his face with both hands. “Rey, it’s because you are dear to me, you have no experience with Omega men, and there’s an Omega man in estrus who is frankly quite smitten with you. Right now, he wants no one but you.”

***

After stomaching his medication, two apples, and a Gatorade, Ben managed to strip off his pajama pants and drag himself into the shower. With some shame, he put his phone into a Ziploc bag so he could readily respond to any messages Rey might send while he conditioned his hair. He balanced his phone on the soap dish with the screen face up as he turned on the cold water.

The dizziness and nausea had ebbed slightly with some food in his stomach, but the extremely painful and antsy sensations that engirdled his hips, lower stomach, and genitals remained constant. Despite Finn’s well-intentioned gesture, Ibuprofen did little to take the edge off of estrus pains. Taking more blockers didn’t help his condition either, though it was worth a shot. In truth, Ben had _years_ of experience hiding these symptoms from his family and friends. He trained himself to ignore the phenomena during his pre-estrus blocker years, to the point where he could perform domestic tasks and keep himself looking decent. His mother was so proud to see how strong he was during his heats and estrus periods, how he could function more or less a little normally while he was shut up inside while they blew over. _Something_ to compensate for having a tall, gangly, and angry Omega son with little chance of bonding. Granted, he did it all while being penetrated by two artificial knot toys under his clothing, but she didn’t need to know that. 

Now, he would put those skills, rusty as they were, back into use so that he could have a pleasant weekend with Rey. Maybe he could ask her to get ingredients so they could make dinner together. They could watch a good documentary on the Clone Wars, or perhaps on the Fall of the Republic. Maybe he could use the documentaries to transition into a conversation about who he really was and his family lineage.

 _Would Rey be comfortable dating the future CEO of the company she works for? The son of two war heroes, but the grandson of one of the most evil men in history?_ Ben felt like throwing up. _Someone who let high profile military generals into his bed during the war she fought in?_ his traitorous Omega-brain whispered. Kylo dry heaved at the thought of Rey’s reaction to _that_ dirty secret, but managed to keep everything down. 

With the conditioner full worked into his hair, he checked his bagged phone while the water poured over him. Rey hadn’t responded in the last twenty-seven minutes. An irrational sense of panic fluttered in his chest, but Ben knew better than to spam her phone with follow-up messages like a teenager on their third estrus. She was probably in a meeting or at lunch. _She hasn’t abandoned you_ , Ben reassured himself. The self-assurance rang hollow. _Yet._

His phone pinged.

_Sorry Ben! I had to go talk to Finn about some stuff._

Ben forced himself to rinse out the conditioner and get out of the shower before responding to her message. While toweling off, he texted out his reply.

_You’re fine! :-D I was in the shower during your absence. :-)_

She responded promptly.

_Finn told me about what happened last night. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry._

Ben felt overlapping waves of shame, embarrassment, and relief sweep over him on top of the estrus-related sensations. He didn’t want Rey to know what had happened, but he was _glad_ Finn told her at the same time. And it wasn’t her fault. It was a series of unfortunate coincidences.

She followed up with a second text.

_Would it help your symptoms if we had sex first thing tomorrow?_

What an easy answer. Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes while he typed up his response naked in the bathroom. 

_YES!! :,)_

Rey pinged back immediately.

_Okay!! :^)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter for the week, and I'm again extending it by another chapter to round out the story! Thank you for hanging on, and thank you so much for the kudos and comments. :) See you next Tuesday-ish.


	5. A Potential(?) Mate

To be completely honest, Rey’s physical stature wasn’t the only thing that made her a misfit amongst the rest of the Alphas she knew. Her ruts were weak. For her, the explosions of heightened emotions that an Alpha struggled with during this period, even when on their blockers, were almost nonexistent. In many ways, it was one of her best attributes. Rey had the pheromones and confident professional guise of an intelligent Alpha, but lacked the monthly impulsivity, competitiveness and fury their sexual alignment possessed. Poe once described her as “intimidating, but not _too_ intimidating _._ ” She didn’t daunt their primary Beta clients, making it easy for her to climb the corporate ladder to where she was today in such a short time span.

Though she detected the lingering scent of Bens’ sweet smell on Finn’s skin under his suppressants, it wasn’t until she agreed to sleep with Ben that a muddled cloud of nerves and jealousy that somewhat resembled her meager Alpha nature revealed itself.

Ugly, borderline irrational thoughts passed through her brain while she tried to focus on a performance issue from one of Rose’s prototypes.

_Why isn’t Ben’s real partner taking care of him?_

_If he doesn’t have a partner, what’s wrong with him?_

_Why did Finn take care of him last night?_

_Why didn’t Ben call me if he’s apparently so enamored with me?_

_Was Finn ever serious with Ben?_

_I have to share Ben with other Alphas._

_I want him to myself._

These thoughts were chased by her own insecurities.

_I’ve never slept with an Omega guy._

_I’ve never attended to an Omega’s heat._

_What if he doesn’t find me attractive on a second glance?_

_What positions are comfortable with such a tall and wide-bodied bottom when I’m so much shorter?_

_Is it better to penetrate an Omega man vaginally or anally?_

_Do Omega men have prostates in their anal cavities?_

She picked at her ring finger cuticle while thoughts swirled.

When Rey got home from work, she spent two hours reading through technique online while intermittently texting Ben about football and her frustrations at work to try to keep the mood light. They agreed that she’d just stay until early Monday morning so she wouldn’t miss work. Rey knew that she should have at least _some_ of the necessary preparatory conversations about sex over text or even over a phone call, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Ben made no indication he wanted to either. They’d just have to talk through the physical stuff before they got down to business tomorrow. 

***

Rey awoke at 8AM to four texts from Ben.

_Good morning Rey!! I am excited to see you again today. :^D_

_Once you get to my building, go into the lobby!! My assistant will be waiting for you by the front desk. His name is Chewie. He will escort you to my apartment! :-D_

Ben sent a photo of the gruff-looking golden-haired and -bearded man who had been his driver last Thursday. He’d obviously taken it when the man wasn’t paying attention at a sit down meal.

_Don’t worry about bringing anything besides clothes and any essentials you need. I have everything you could possibly want!! :-)_

Rey smiled at the texts and sent Ben a thumbs-up and a reply.

_I’ll be there at 10:30AM._

With her heartbeat ringing loudly in her ears, she threw her medications, facial cleanser, hairbrush, toothbrush, and toothpaste into her old college backpack. Rey was a minimalist: aside from two of well-maintained business suits for work and two outfits for nights on the town, the rest of her wardrobe consisted of clothes that tripled as gym clothes, lounge wear, and pajamas. After some difficulty piecing together outfits from what she owned, she packed three relatively cuter but comfortable outfits, plenty of underwear, and socks.

Rey opted not to bring her cucumber-scented hair products, as she read online that it was unwise to use unnecessarily scented products when attending to usually hyper-sensitive Omegas in heat. She’d have to borrow his shampoo and conditioner or just suck it up and wash her hair with his soap. _I’ve done it before, I can do it again._

While rooting for hair ties and a hair clip in the drawers under her bathroom sink, Rey paused and looked at herself in the mirror. She always considered herself pretty but rather boyish-looking without makeup. _Will Ben mind if I don’t wear any?_ After some deliberation, she decided against applying any. _Better for his nostrils. If we’re really going to have sex, I’ll sweat it off anyways._

_***_

To call his place of residence merely an apartment building was the biggest lie Ben could have told Rey. Rey hadn’t made the connection that Ben _lived in_ THE _Three Valorium Park,_ the most expensive residential complex in Theed. The glass-paneled skyscraper, which overlooked the famous Virdugo Plunge, was thirty-three stories high, a five minute walk to the Palace Plaza, a six minute walk to the Theed Royal Palace, and a ten minute walk away from her workplace in the finance district. Only prestigious politicians, lesser royalty and wealthy business people could afford such a place.

 _Is this all some elaborate practical joke?_ Rey felt tiny and dirty standing around in the lobby wearing what amounted to the clothing she usually went to her Boga Minawk workout classes in when even the bellhop wore an expensive suit and tie.

Rey elected to put on her nicest underthings on for today while simultaneously bemoaning the fact that she didn’t have the foresight to order a decent set of accommodating lingerie. Those underthings included a lacy navy bralette and a new-ish black pair of boyshort briefs. As sexy as it would be to have something more revealing, anything smaller than these would either ride up her ass or lack enough fabric to hold her dick in place. She threw on a fitted Reena University hoodie and loose clean grey sweatpants over them. Rey had a habit of getting panic boners before sex. Sweatpants were her go-to solution.

 _If this isn’t a joke at my expense, Ben either comes from money, does_ very _well for himself, and/or has many connections to important people._ A surge of confusion and fury cooled her chest. _And he wants_ me?

Chewie wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Rey looked at her phone and tapped out a message to Ben.

_I’m here in the lobby. :)_

Rey noticed the beautiful olive-skinned receptionist bedecked in high fashion attire and a very 'Naboo' high society hairdo eyeing her from the front desk. _Will they kick me out for looking like this without an appointment?_ Rey forced the nerves down and made herself admire the absurd luxuriousness of the lobby: high ceilings, large skylights, beautiful wicker furniture, white marble floors, and a beautiful waterfall feature pouring out from a delicate silver tree branch-like sculpture suspended from the ceiling.

 _I could never dream of living in a place like this_. Though her annual income meant that she could probably afford somewhere nicer, Rey stubbornly stayed put in her comparatively cheap studio apartment on the outskirts of Theed in the southeastern district. A childhood and adolescence of borderline poverty followed by two years of serving in an underfunded military instilled in Rey a stubborn reluctance to spend money and strong impulses to scrounge whenever she could. She hoarded disposable napkins, took _everyone’s_ leftovers home in a doggy bag whenever she went out with friends to eat, and very sparingly used her air-conditioning during the summer months. The desert was her home for most of her formative years. Theed’s summer weather was nothing.

Rey felt her phone vibrate.

_Okay!! Chewie is coming down! :-D_

Like clockwork, the gate of the beautiful birdcage elevator next to front desk opened. Chewie stepped out and immediately identified Rey with striking blue eyes underneath large fuzzy eyebrows. He exchanged a few quiet words with the receptionist, jerking his head in Rey’s direction. The receptionist look another glance at Rey, nodded, and returned to her ledger.

Chewie made his way to where Rey stood in the lobby.

“Missus Johnson for Mr. Benjamin, no?” Chewie asked.

“I am she.” Rey clutched at her backpack strap. She wracked her brain for where that accent could have come from. Kashyyyk, maybe? He smelled pleasing and clean: a Beta.

“Please follow me.”

Rey followed the huge man into the elevator. Chewie closed the gate and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor. Instead of trying to engage in conversation with this imposing man, she decided to look down at her shoes.

“Mr. Benjamin…” Chewie’s unprompted voice made Rey jump. “…is a good man. Looking forward to seeing you.”

“I hope he is too.” Chewie met her eyes and smiled. 

The elevator stopped and Chewie opened the gate.

“Follow me.”

The elevator was situated at the end of an elegant long hall. Rey paid little mind to her new surroundings in favor of making sure she put one foot in front of the other.

Chewie stopped at the second to last door on his right and pressed the doorbell. The _bzzzt_ was barely audible over the rush of Rey’s own blood in her ears.

There was the sound of someone on the other side fiddling with at least three locks before the dark mahogany door to the apartment opened. There stood Kylo, now “Ben,” in a plain burgundy hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head, plaid pajama pants, and socks. He gripped onto the door frame to steady himself.

“Hey. Thanks for bringing Rey up.”

“Is no problem. You need anything else?”

“Not now. I’ll let you know if it changes.” 

“I take my leave, then.”

“See ya, Chewie.”

Ben stepped away from the door frame to allow Rey to come inside. She stepped over the threshold into a spotless kitchen area. All of the appliances were stainless steel. The counter tops were made of grey granite flecked with tiny spots of ruddy garnets. The kitchen was conjoined to a living room area and a dining room area.

“Put your stuff wherever. Please remove your shoes too,” Ben said flatly after closing and locking the front door. On slightly wobbly legs, he made his way to the large suede couch in the living area directly adjacent to the kitchen area.

Rey followed directions, her mind racing on what to do next. She tucked her sneakers into a corner and placed her backpack on the kitchen counter. For a brief moment, she studied the back of the red hood poking over the back of the couch before walking over to him.

She sat a polite distance away from Ben, crossing her legs under her. Squished against the couch arm, he slouched with his hands weakly to his sides and palms up. He turned his face to hers with his lips slightly parted. They stared at each other for a full three minutes or so, taking in each other’s faces.

Rey couldn’t read his expression, but the fabled spicy aftertaste of estrus coated his now extremely powerful vanilla-based scent. Ben, still as beautiful and _huge_ as he was before the snow just two nights before, was about three shades paler and extremely green around the gills. He looked drained and wasted with a long, thin face. _How much weight can you lose in less than forty-eight hours?_ Rey thought worriedly.

“You look rough.”

“Never seen an Omega in estrus, have you, Rey?” Ben chuckled dryly.

“In truth, I haven’t. You get the privilege of being my test bunny for my attendance skills.”

“Do I?”

“You do.”

“Then it is a privilege I’ll take with pleasure.” Ben flashed an exhausted, but genuine toothy grin.

 _Pointed eyeteeth_ and _dimples?_ Her heart squeezed. _Oh no, he’s too cute._ Rey quickly pushed aside these thoughts before they showed on her face. She began running through protocol she learned online.

“Have you been able to sleep?”

“A little.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I have.”

“What and when?”

“A protein bar and thirty minutes ago.”

“Drank enough liquid in the past hour?”

“Should be enough.”

“You look dehydrated,” Rey smiled despite of her nerves. She stood and went back to the kitchen. “Where are your glasses?”

“Second shelf to the right of the sink,” Ben called out to her.

Rey found a mug and filled it up in the kitchen sink. She went back to the couch and offered it to Ben.

“Drink this.”

“Can…” Ben cleared his throat and Rey watched as the same blotchy blush from Thursday night’s kiss bloom on his cheeks and forehead. “Can you help me?”

“Of course. May I touch you?”

Ben nodded meekly.

“Sit up a bit.” Ben obeyed and straightened himself up. She offered him the handle, which he took. She leaned over him, guiding the mug with one hand and cupping the other beneath his chin to catch drips. He deliberately took large gulps until the mug was empty.

When done, Rey placed the mug on the coffee table in front of them and shrank away, giving Ben space. He slouched back into his original position.

“Thanks,” Ben looked at her again an unreadable expression. “You can give me a water bottle with a nozzle to avoid this next time. You can use the water dispenser in the fridge to fill it up too.”

“I will.” Rey kicked herself. “Why…why are you having difficulties drinking out of a mug, yet you still can text?”

Ben lowered his eyes away from her face. “I’ve been dictating most of my texts. My very fine motor skills…I’ve been having episodes where they are just _shot_.” He lifted a hand and held his palm flat to demonstrate how his hand was involuntary trembling.

“When did this start?”

“Yesterday afternoon,” A look of worry colored Ben’s face. “Do not worry about it. This has happened since I presented at fifteen. The shaking will pass in a couple minutes and episodes stop at the end of my estrus period.”

“Ah. I see. I won’t, then.” Rey hugged her knees to her chest. She felt so stupid, sitting there and not knowing how to approach the unspoken for white elephant in the room. He smelled amazing, but he looked so _bad._ She felt like she was watching a baby bird sitting on the ground and being unsure if she could hold it.

Ben turned his face away from Rey and pressed it into the couch arm, trying to stifle a series of shuttering breaths.

The hair on her arms raised. “Ben. Could you look at me?”

Ben shook his head while still pressing it into the couch arm.

“Ben, look at me.” Rey said more calmly.

The command hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity before Ben turned and looked at her. His eyes shined with tears and he screwed up his reddened face in an effort to not let them fall. He exhaled slowly in one unsteady breath.

“Ben…what’s going on?”

“Don’t—”

“Tell me.” Rey sounded much more in control that she felt.

“…You’re afraid to touch me.” A tear leaked out of the inner corner of his eye which then trailed down and dripped off his nose.

Rey was stunned. _What?_

“I’m…thinking impulsively.” The tears kept falling. “Sorry,” he hiccupped, going to wipe his nose on his hoodie sleeve, “I’m usually a lot better than this…”

“Why in the world do you think I’m afraid to touch you?” Rey demanded. “I’m not.” She crawled closer to him on the couch until she kneeled with her knee caps touching his outer thigh.

Rey reached out to him but hesitated. “Can I?”

Ben squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.

Rey pulled back the hood of Ben’s hoodie. His hair, though clean, was obvious bedhead. She tucked the front strands behind his ears with both hands. His ears were big with attached earlobes and stuck out on either side of his face. _No wonder he hides them. I love them._ She cradled his face in her hands and traced the shell of both of them with her thumbs. He shuddered at her sudden touch and screwed his eyes even tighter shut.

Rey wiped the tear trails from his cheeks. “I’m taking a peek at your neck glands.”

Ben said nothing as Rey brushed his hair back. He limply permitted Rey to guide his head side to side as she inspected the glands on the both sides of his neck that laid directly over the common carotid artery. They were a lovely rosy magenta color and delightfully swollen. _Prime breeding color._ Rey had watched many a mating porn video that showed the Alpha brutally biting down on these glands and leaving dark bruises. _Gentle, Rey. Gentle._ She couldn’t bring herself to even touch them.

She wondered what his back gland looked like, but stopped herself from peeking into his hoodie. Instead, Rey rested her forehead against Ben’s and breathed in his overwhelmingly sweet scent. Her dick twitched.

“I’m going to put up your hair and ask you some very important questions before we do anything.”

“Mmm.” Ben, eyes still shut, nodded. Rey stood.

“Where’s your hairbrush?”

“In the bathroom connected to my bedroom. Go down the hall, it’s…the opened door.”

Rey found his hairbrush on his bathroom sink. She came back into the living room area to find Ben laying supine on the couch, tenting the hoodie away from his front and breathing heavily.

“Ben!”

“Hurts…” he stuttered, eyes watering.

“What hurts?”

“This…” he uttered pathetically, looking at Rey with big and worried eyes.

“Do you want me to help you take it off?

“Yes,” he gasped, panic evident in his voice.

Rey put the hairbrush on the coffee table and helped Ben pull the hoodie off. He lacked a shirt underneath. More moles that matched the ones on his face were scattered over his muscular shoulders, chest and stomach.

 _Oh sweet Maker, grant me mercy._ Rey thought frantically.

“Better?” Rey silently congratulated herself on how steady her voice was.

Ben nodded but still squirmed, flipping the band of his pajama pants down.

“Do you want to take those off too?”

Ben looked up at her, eyes still wet. “Please,” he whispered. “Hurts.”

“Okay. Raise your hips.” Ben obeyed. Rey hooked her fingers into the band and guided them off of his pale hips and thighs. After they were off, he hid his red face in his hands, closed his knees and crossed his ankles.

“Socks, too. Please.” He begged through his fingers.

Rey swallowed a grin as she pulled off the white athletic socks. _Damn, even his feet are nice._ Rey’s foot fetish got a hold of her. She liked how he unconsciously pointed his toes.

Rey felt guilty feeling any resemblance of glee midst Ben’s obvious discomfort, but she hadn’t expected this sort of honest shyness from someone this experienced. It emboldened her just the tiniest bit. She watched from his feet as his breathing slowed and tensed muscles relaxed a little.

The thought of slick staining this nice suede sofa crossed her mind. “Do you need a towel?”

“I—I’m fine for now. Plugged myself right before you got here.” Ben answered, again through his fingers.

“Alright.”

Rey steeled herself. “I still want to put your hair up and ask you my questions. Could you sit on the floor?”

Ben uncovered his face but made no movement to sit up. His chin trembled and more tears threatened to spill. “If I show you my back, you won’t leave?”

“Of course I won’t.”

“You _swear_ you won’t?”

“Ben, I _swear_ I won’t leave you.”

Ben bit his bottom lip and anxiously searched her eyes as if looking for a hidden lie before sitting up and gingerly sliding off the couch to the carpet. He crossed his legs and waited for her to do her magic.

Rey grabbed the brush and sat on the couch behind him, her legs on either side of his shoulders. His muscular back was also covered in cute dark moles. Rey combed back his black hair and gently worked out the tangles until the hair laid flat in thick and shiny waves. She made a conscious effort to not touch or expose the gland right below the nape of his neck and centered on his spinal cord. _That’s what he doesn’t want to show me, isn’t it?_ Rey thought sadly _._

Curiosity took ahold of her. “I want to braid your hair partially up. Can I look at your back gland?”

Ben took a shaky breath and nodded.

Rey lifted up his hair. Her stomach clenched in dread. This circular gland was usually the diameter of a ping pong ball and was used for bonding to life partners. It was a sacred and private spot for most Omegas, reserved only for lovers to look at and touch. Ben’s was a large and misshapen keloid scar. 

“Ben... ”

He hiccupped and bent forward, his shoulders quivering.

“You’re free to tell me what happened, but I don’t need to know.” Rey wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him back to her. She slowly leaned his head back into her lap and looked into his eyes. After trying to dodge her line of sight, Ben resigned himself to gaze up into her face. “I still want you to be mine. Eventually,” Rey blushed at how much of a romantic she was, sitting here expressing her desire so prematurely, “and if you’ll have me. Not now, but if the desire is ever there,” Rey said plainly. “It’s not just the pheromones talking, I promise.”

“…Solo.” Ben croaked.

“Hm?”

Ben licked his lips and spoke in a wavering voice. “My name is Benjamin Solo. I’m the only son of General Han Solo and General, formerly Princess, Leia Skywalker Organa Solo. I am the grandson of Anakin Skywalker. During the First Order–Resistance War, I served as an undercover officer for the Resistance. Over the course of the conflict, I bonded myself to three different military generals in the First Order to obtain intelligence. The first I truly bonded to…after he was of no use to me, I killed him. Since I could no longer bond to another Alpha, I faked my bonding with the other two. One of them found out and…that,” Ben said, leaning forward and tapping on the scar, “happened."

He looked back and gave Rey a watery smile. "I’m now the executive director of Organa and Skywalker Enterprises and your future CEO. Be careful, little Rey, who you say words like that to. Your fantasy is often much different than reality.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Do you have a serious partner, Mr. Ben Solo?”

“No.”

Rey crossed her arms while still clinging onto his hairbrush like a weapon. “Then you haven’t changed my mind,” she sniffed. “I'm not at all mitigating what you experienced, but we all did crazy shit during the war to protect those we loved. You're no exception, and I'm no exception. I also doubted you to be simply the suave gentleman you proposed yourself to be once you started texting me. Like all things, relationships take work. And I’m willing to put the effort if you ever desire such an arrangement with me. Now look straight ahead while I get your hair out of your face.”

In silence, Rey managed to pull Ben’s bangs back into a short French braid onto the top of his head and secured it with the hair tie on her wrist. It had been several years since she braided anyone else’s hair, but she was proud of how good it looked. _It’s not an Alderaan braid,_ Rey’s heart thumped, _but it’s what I got._

“Done.”

Ben turned around to face her and gingerly touched the top of his head as if he was afraid to mess it up. “…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rey watched her very handsome partner avoid her eye contact once again. “Ben, look at me. What’s wrong?”

His eyes flitted to hers. “I…need to clean myself up.”

“Are you ready to move to the bedroom?”

Ben nodded shyly.

“Alright.” Rey stood and offered her hands to Ben for him to pull himself up with. She followed a slightly wobbly Ben into his bedroom, holding a hand to the small of his back for guidance.

***

Ben’s head spun at his recollection of Rey’s confession while sitting on the toilet in his bathroom while Rey waited on his bed. _I spilled everything and she didn’t even blink._ _Finn was right: cedar, bitter orange, and sea water._

He pulled out the vaginal and anal knotting toys, cleaned himself and then brought the toys over to the sink to clean them before going back to Rey. Ben stood there with his feet wider apart than normal, trying to avoid the feeling of slick leaking onto his thighs. He had always produced more slick than most of the other Omegas he knew. Clients loved it because it meant no additional lubrication needed, but they didn’t have to deal with it monthly as a bodily function.

Without toys in, the pain grew from dull to stabbing. Ben had roughly five minutes before he’d double over from it.

Rey knocked at the door. “Can I come in?”

“Y—yeah.” Ben balanced the vaginal plug next to the sink.

Rey had stripped down to her underwear and pulled up her hair into a high ponytail.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Ben responded a bit shyly. He noticed that her dick hung to the left as a semi-erection in her briefs.

“How are you feeling? May I hug you from the back?”

“S—sure?”

Rey wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed good-naturedly. She laid her cheek onto the middle of his back and traced the outline of his abs lightly with her fingertips. He shivered.

“A couple questions while you finish up.”

“Yes?” He turned the water back on and pumped cleaner onto the anal plug.

“Does anal or vaginal penetration feel better for you?”

Ben smiled. Though it spoke a bit to her inexperience, but he was coming to love her straightforwardness.

“Hmmm, anal, but how about we stick to vaginal for now?”

“Okay.” Rey’s hands moved down his torso to his pubic area. She stopped and hovered over his dick.

“Can I touch you?”

“L—let me finish cleaning up here and then I’ll meet you on the bed.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for you there.”

***

Rey waited for Ben with her back rested against the bed’s headboard. The bed smelled exactly like him and it took a considerable amount of willpower to _not_ huff his pillow. Rey went having from a semi-erection to a raging erection from just sitting there, touching herself over her underwear, and enveloping herself in his scent.

Her mind raced. She _couldn't_ embarrass herself too badly over the next twenty minutes. She could stroke well, so the knotting itself wouldn’t be too difficult. Maintaining an erection wasn’t a concern because of her excellent fear boner ability coupled by her undeniable attraction to Ben, but foreplay with him intimidated her.

“I’m done.” Ben was finished in the bathroom. He had grabbed a towel from his bathroom stash. Walking over to the bed, he flopped down on the coverlet beside Rey and hugged the folded towel to his chest. He looked up to Rey through his eyelashes.

 _Puppy eyes. Really?!_ Rey’s heart skipped a beat.

“Come on. Let’s relieve some of your symptoms.” Rey stroked Ben’s cheek.

They switched positions on the bed, with Ben leaning against the headboard with the towel under him and Rey at his feet.

“Ben, I—I’m sorry if I’m clumsy. Correct me if you need to.”

“Rey. First times are always awkward. I’m all yours.”

Rey felt the insides of her wrists begin to sweat at those words. _Did he really mean what he just said?_

“Well…alright. Open your legs then, Ben.”

Ben let out a shaky breath, but obeyed quickly.

Compared to how sturdy and strong the rest of his body was, Ben was surprisingly delicate between his legs. Rey wasn’t sure _what_ was conducive to an attractive set of genitals, but this was it.

“Can I?”

“Please.”

Rey, recalling moves from some gentle Alpha female porn she studied diligently last night, gently stroked the underside of his cock with a flat open hand and then focused on the head. Ben was bigger than most Omega men, but not by much. A bit longer than her middle finger but decently thick. By his breathing, he wasn’t hating it but insecurities bit at Rey’s heels.

“Show me how you touch yourself here,” she whispered into his ear. She’d never touched a dick before, might as well see how the owner does it.

Ben guided her hand from his dick to directly beneath and brushed her fingers against his outer labia. “Two,” he said, throat thick with desire.

Rey complied, easily penetrating him without difficulty with her pointer and middle fingers. He was already incredibly wet.

“Fuck me with your fingers,” Ben choked out. His hand went back to his cock. She followed orders, trying to get a feel for how Ben ticked during intimacy. Ben leaned back and angled his hips slightly up, his abdominal muscles visibly clenching with his Kegels over her fingers. Rey positioned herself to kinda lean over him for leverage, her head stopping at his chest. She experimented with speeds and depths, all the while silently thanking whoever was out there that she remembered to cut her fingernails yesterday morning.

“Good?”

“Mhm. More, please.” Ben’s cute splotchy blush was back in full force, but now he watched her face intensely instead of looking away. He was in his element here in the bedroom. _She_ was the inexperienced one in comparison.

“I’m hard. Do you want to switch apparatuses?” Rey broke into a nervous grin.

Ben flushed up to his ears. “Of course I do.”

He took over fingering himself while Rey got off of the bed to slip out of her underwear.

“Can the bra come off too?” Ben asked with a slight nervous tone in his voice.

Rey blinked and then shrugged. “Sure, why not?” She tugged the bralette off.

Naked as a jaybird, Rey sat back down on the bed. If the military had given her anything, it was the ability to feel completely comfortable naked in front of just about anyone, including beautiful Mr. Ben Solo.

“Like what you see?” She said jokingly. Rey was flat basically everywhere except in her butt and even _that_ wasn’t anything amazing to look at. Even her dick was slim, the only bulky part being the bulbis glandis at the base.

“Yes,” Rey felt Ben's eyes travel from her chest to her dick. “How big are you?”

“Nineteen centimeters, um—” Rey did the calculations in her head, “about seven and a half inches?”

“Wow. It's beautiful.”

Rey blushed. “Thank you? I guess?” She wracked her brain for positions comfortable for short tops and tall bottoms. “Missionary, cowgirl, doggy or spooning? You choose.”

“Missionary.”

Ben paused to shove a pillow under the towel he brought to bed, sat on it, and laid back down. “This’ll be easier for both of us if I’m angled higher,” he said good-naturedly. In truth, Ben looked a little better now than even thirty minutes ago. The green tinge to his face was gone.

“Great. You ready?” Rey straddled herself over Ben, touching herself while he adjusted himself beneath her. She felt a little ridiculous, like a Jack Russell terrier trying to mount a much larger dog.

Ben nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“You sure you’re good with me going in bareback? Your birth control isn’t going to mess up or anything, is it? You’re completely clean?”

Ben squeezed the back of her thighs and smiled up at Rey. “Ms. Johnson, my birth control won’t fuck up and I am completely clean for you. I promise.”

“You wet enough? You _sure_ we don’t need extra lube?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rey almost jumped at Ben’s laugh, a sound she hadn’t heard since their date. Her belly pooled with desire and happiness, hoping that he was feeling better mentally than when they met their morning.

“Here goes nothing!” She felt so dumb saying such things in front of a seasoned sex worker. _He must think I crazy._

Rey entered Ben easily. The skills she lacked in foreplay she somewhat made up for here, knowing how to adequately read her partner’s bodily language and switch up when needed, sometimes changing to grinding her own dick against Ben’s instead of just in and out. Ben was receptive and, to her quiet gratitude, played against her quite naturally. He wasn’t noisy, but he occasionally let out an exclamatory curse when she hit in just the right way that made her smile.

After about six minutes of penetration, Rey felt herself approach climax. She pulled out and kept stroking hard and quickly with her hand.

“Ben,” she said, a bit out of breath and leg muscles twitching, “I’m about there.”

He stroked the side of her thigh. “I’m ready for you.”

“Okay.” Rey brushed hair that stuck his sweaty temple off of his forehead with her free hand.

She entered him again, thrust into him six more times, and climaxed. A jolt of metaphorical electricity pulsed through her abdomen.

Rey's legs gave out and she clumsily collapsed on top of Ben, her knot swelled deep inside him. Based on her previous experiences, her knots lasted longer than average. It would be a while before she could slip out.

When the white flash of her orgasm subsided just a bit, Rey was able to partially prop herself up on Ben’s stomach and make jazz hands like the dork she was. ““Ta-dah! That’s what I got...I’m sorry I wasn’t able to reciprocate well.”

Ben tucked a piece of hair that escaped her ponytail behind Rey’s ear. “You did a good job, Rey. I’m...appropriately uncomfortable but I’m not in pain right now. Exactly what I wanted.”

“Did I pass my estrus attendance exam?”

“I’ll give you a 92.”

Rey furrowed her brows. “How can I score higher?” Her mind swirled in a horny and confused afterglow. _Can I kiss him? Is that too awkward of a request to ask now?_

It was almost if Ben could read her mind.

“Kiss me?” He asked timidly, flushing again up to his ears.

“With pleasure.”

When they finally broke apart after twenty straight minutes of sweet and soft kisses at awkward angles, Ben gave Rey another wide, toothy grin and her heart burst.

***

The rest of the weekend was full of both gentle and crazy estrus sex, foreplay lessons, make-out sessions in cozy nests, movie marathons, and baking. Ben was an amazing but cheeky lover who enjoyed sending surprise shocks of pleasure through Rey by moaning into her mouth, begging her to grab his ass, and glowing in response to her pathetic attempts to talk dirty to him. Rey introduced him to the amazing world of online cooking videos, professional debate, and cocktail mixing. They were in bed by midnight both evenings, Ben shyly requesting to be little spoon. She indulged in sniffing his hair when he was asleep.

By the time she left for work on Monday, a single thought dominated Rey’s waking hours.

_I think I might be in love with you, Ben Solo._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted a bit early, because why not? :) It has been an absolute pleasure to write for you all. Thank you for your feedback, kudos, bookmarks, and comments. I will be concluding this Ben and Rey's story in the next chapter. Stay tuned!


	6. The Future Awaits

“Hey, hun?!” Doph yelled for Phasma from their home office on the third floor. Phasma was in the kitchen on the bottom floor, hastily decorating the last of the gingerbell cookies before company began arriving. Knowing her luck, their first guests would probably be Rose and Armitage. Rose always had an incredible culinary creation in tow that put Phasma’s lumpy icing decoration skills to shame.

“Yeah?!” She yelled back. She waited a moment before realizing Doph couldn’t hear her from this distance, experienced a sudden flutter of panic, and rushed up two flights of stairs to the office.

She threw open the partially opened door a little more forcefully that intended in her haste and stood in the doorway. “What’s up?”

Dopheld Mitaka peered over the back of the computer monitor from where he sat in front of it with raised eyebrows. “You okay?”

Phasma went over to her husband and leaned over his office chair. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tucked his head under her chin. He slouched back at her touch, his hands still resting on top of his stomach. They found out the good news four months ago, shortly after Phasma was able to go back to work after Doph’s difficult and exhausting fall estrus. His scent of ginger, toffee and Earl Grey tea, thick and beautiful while he had state permissions to be off of medications to conceive, had picked up a very light top note of wisteria: a telltale sign. Doph was just now starting to show in the past week or so to their mutual delight.

Phasma took a deep breath and exhaled in relief. “I’m good, thought you were in trouble for a moment. What did you want to tell me?”

“Who is Rey bringing with her?”

“What?”

“Yeah.” Doph pointed with the cursor to where Ms. Rey Johnson had indeed indicated that she was bringing a plus one to the gathering tonight on the screen. “Who might that be?”

“I have no idea.”

“Does she have family in town? A sibling maybe?”

“She’s an only child and her parents aren’t around,” Phasma couldn’t bring herself to tell Doph that Rey was an orphan. Dopheld Mitaka, fueled by pregnancy hormones, wept freely at just about everything, happy or sad.

“A date? A lover? Maybe even that…?”

“We’re talking about Rey here. She’d have told me if she was seeing someone.”

“Maybe she had to make sure this one would stick around for longer than a month before introducing them to her friends?”

Phasma suspected that Doph was right in some capacity. Ever since Phasma went back to work, she noticed that the scents of jealousy and sadness emanating from her good friend were absent. For the past four months, Phasma kept catching just the slightest hints of alien smells clinging to Rey’s clothes: an old library, honey, and something vanilla-ish. Rey strangely made no indication that she wanted to talk about the origin of these smells, so Phasma never asked. For how open Rey usually was, it was very much out of character for her to be this protective over secrets. Phasma’s free thoughts often drifted to different scenarios that could explain Rey’s current behavior. Poe had no insight into the situation either, but Finn kept suspiciously silent. Phasma suspected Finn knew more than he was willing to let on.

“Perhaps!” she said a little too brightly.

“I hope so,” Doph said quietly. He looked up to Phasma with teary eyes. “She needs someone who isn’t us.”

“Oh, hush. She’ll find them. Don’t you worry, you sweetheart.” Phasma pressed a kiss to Doph’s forehead. “Want to come help me finish the cookies you left me with to decorate downstairs?”

Doph flushed as pink as his neck glands. “Of course.”

Though no one in their group was actually _from_ Alderaan, the main office threw a fancy party during the time of the Gingerbell Blossom Festival because it signified to them the end of the war. _When we were able to get back to some sense of normalcy._ Everyone there was a veteran, but five of them (Rey, Finn, Poe, Rose, Phasma, and Armitage) served in the same unit. For these five, it was an especially emotionally trying time. They would gather in the cool night air for about ten minutes away from the rest of the party attendees each year to make a toast and pour out a drink for their dozens of comrades who didn’t make it home.

This year, Finn nominated Phasma and Doph’s house for the party, much to her chagrin. Phasma _hated_ cleaning and decorating for guests. Doph, on the other hand, was thrilled to be put in charge of festivities. He methodically planned out the entire evening.

Her prediction came true. Rose and Armitage arrived early with a beautiful two-tiered cake covered in lavender buttercream icing and delicate sugared gingerbell flowers. Phasma stared at the thing in envy as she took it from Rose and carried it to the kitchen.

Finn and Poe carpooled together and showed up only a few minutes after Rose and Armitage, lazily bringing beer and three plastic grocery bags full of assorted types of snack mix.

Klaud, with a couple shots of spotchka already in his system, arrived soon after in an Uber. Though Rey was the better cocktail mixer, Klaud took pride in his role as bartender each year. He always brought a batch of his homemade spotchka for the most adventurous guests.

Phasma set everyone up in the living room. She sequestered herself to the dining room and began laying out the charcuterie and cheese board, the ingredients for which she spent way too much money and time on. Doph, the social butterfly that he was, entertained the early guests by taking requests for songs on the piano.

Phasma felt her phone buzz in the surprisingly big back pocket of her dress pants. She pulled it out—two texts from Rey.

_Hey. I forgot to tell you I’m bringing someone, but I’m sure you saw my RSVP already. I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you about the whole situation yet, but I’m really excited for you to meet them._

_We will be a bit late. Don’t start charades without me! D: <_

Phasma smiled at the text, her suspicions confirmed. _Is it gonna be that poor Omega guy whose estrus she fucked up with her rut?_ Doph bet her twenty bucks that it was.

 _We won’t!_ Phasma texted back. _Drive safe._

***

  
“Chewie! This is the house.” Rey called out over the divider. Ben watched as Chewie tucked his head in agreement and slowed the limo to a stop.

“We’ll be ready for pick up about…half past midnight, I suspect?” Rey looked at Ben questioningly to confirm if that was indeed a satisfactory time. Ben nodded.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be here.” Chewie looked back at the couple reclining in his vehicle.

“Excellent. Have a good night, Chewie!” Rey opened the backseat door and held it open for Ben like the lady she was. He stepped out and buttoned his jacket.

Ben was wearing the same black two-piece suit that he had on during their first date. Rey had asked him to wear it to this event of hers tonight. She was thrilled that he was finally comfortable enough with the idea of officially coming out as her boyfriend and meeting all of her closest friends and co-workers.

“I want to show you off as the eye candy you are!” Rey had exclaimed while putting on mascara in response to why this particular suit. Admirers and clients had often called Ben “unconventionally handsome,” but the intense and slightly possessive way that Rey talked about him as if he were Helen of Troy, giant ears and all, made Ben feel simultaneously confident and slutty. Her sheer excitement helped to pump him up just a little bit more for the nerve-wracking evening ahead.

Rey also insisted that he style his hair in the same way from that fated evening, loose but meticulously tousled. This particular hairstyle felt out of place now in non-professional settings. Ben grew to love Rey’s braids in his hair and asked for them almost daily. Rey would braid his hair after dinner while watching _Eats from Ahch-To_ with him on the couch.

Ben stared at his beautiful girlfriend in her lacy cream skater dress and ballet flats. Rey smiled her cheeky grin at him and offered him her hand. He took it and laced his fingers between hers.

_Maker—has it already been nearly five months?_

Ben still marveled at how easily Rey settled into a comfortable routine with him. Excited to move in with him after three months of seeing each other, despite how ridiculous he felt asking her if she wanted to so quickly. How she charmed his parents, friends, and co-workers with her dorky, professional confidence when Ben asked her to meet them. How Rey made him feel like she’d always been there for him and that she always will be, no matter what challenges they may face or his anatomical inadequacies. It wasn’t completely perfect, but Ben _knew_ in his soul that he would be hers for the rest of his waking days.

 _My Alpha._ The cheesy term of affection crossed his thoughts. _My gentle, lovely Alpha. Please keep taking care of me._

“You nervous?” Rey asked as they walked to the front door.

“Y—yes.”

“You got this. Finn will be here. You’ll know someone already. Are you finally going to tell him who you are tonight?”

“That’s our plan, isn’t it?”

“Mhm. Good boy.”

Ben’s favorite pet name. His heart squeezed.

“No one’s going to recognize you besides maybe Phasma. She’s the only one who pays attention to corporate politics.”

Rey paused before knocking. “You ready?”

“Wait.” Ben leaned over and kissed Rey deeply right there on the front porch. Rey responded with a warm purr in the back of her throat and her free hand cupping his throat. After thirty seconds or so, she stopped the kiss by gently biting his bottom lip and pulling.

“…I love you.” Ben whispered.

Rey grinned up into her Omega’s face and squeezed their still interlaced fingers. “I know.”

“Alright! Let’s do this.” Rey knocked.

Finn answered. He opened the inside door and went to unlock the screen-in door when he noticed Rey’s companion. He froze, his jaw agape.

“Hey!” Rey smiled. “Finn, I want you to meet Ben. My partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, my first ever fan fiction is complete. :-D Thank you for allowing me to bring this Ben and Rey to you. I hope you enjoyed their little, awkward journey of meet cute. I set out to write a slightly more unconventional A/B/O story and I do hope I more or less delivered on that front. 
> 
> Stay safe, my friends, and until next time, 
> 
> Lady


	7. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello y'all, 
> 
> I was inspired to write an epilogue. Here's to babies happily ever after.
> 
> Content Warning(?): _Very_ brief mention of possible pregnancy termination for health reasons.

“ _Rey_. Rey. REY. Wake up, baby. I need you to get up.” Ben roughly shook Rey awake, calm urgency rumbling in the back of his throat.

“What’s going on—”

“My water broke.” Rey looked up into her husband’s poker face, half-illuminated by the full moon coming in through the skylights in their bedroom.

“Oh, _hun..._ ” Rey began to sit up before realizing that half of Kira anchored her to the bed. Now that their newly four-year-old was entrusted with a “big girl bed” without guardrails, she took to sneaking into their bed during the wee hours of the morning and nestling herself in between Rey and Ben. She was dead to the world, having stolen and wrapped herself up in every single nesting quilt they had at the foot of the bed.

“I want you to change the sheets.”

“But we need to—”

“Phasma and Finn will be here in about fifteen minutes to look after Kira. Please change the sheets. _Please_.”

“…Okay.” Rey’s hormones screamed at her to _hurry_ , _get your pants on, get in the car,_ but she learned over the years that Ben was almost always correct in stressful situations. A wriggly, over-inquisitive, and nervous Kira was the last thing they needed to deal with right now.

Ben, dressed only in a presumably clean pair of boxers, gently dug Kira out of the bedding and held the preschooler on his hip, her sweet face smushed into his shoulder. Two years into their marriage, Ben got baby fever and insisted on being the carrier, much to Rey’s quiet relief. When Kira was born, Ben cried, relieved that their first inherited her mom’s ears. Despite being Rey’s mini-me, Kira was to be a daddy’s girl. Ben would drop everything to play tea party, trucks, or whatever else caught his daughter’s fancy at that moment in time. Rey thought it was hilarious the several times when she came home to find Kira playing hairdresser in the living room, very seriously tying pigtails into Ben’s hair. Ben loved every second of it, grinning at Rey like an idiot while Kira focused on her masterpiece.

Rey stripped the bed, dropped off the dirty sheets in the laundry room, and grabbed clean sheets from the closet. Ben stood at the foot of the bed and very gently bounced their snoozing daughter in his arms while looking pasty, swollen, and very pregnant.

When Rey finished, Ben laid Kira back down on their bed and covered her with three quilts.

Before rushing off to grab their pre-packed hospital bag from the bathroom, Rey grabbed Ben’s face in her hands and rested his sweaty forehead against hers. Ben let out the tiniest whimper and crushed Rey to his chest as best he could, pressing his stomach between them.

“What’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?” Rey knew better than to trust her husband’s body language. He hid pain too well. 

“Seven,” Ben breathed.

“Okay. Go get dressed.” She tucked a strand of Ben’s hair, which was now beginning to develop early grey strands, behind his ear. “I’ll call Dr. Kalonia and tell her we’re coming in.”

Ben nodded and went to his drawers to pull out new clothes.

While Kira’s pregnancy was easy, this one hadn’t been in the least. Ben gained a substantial amount of weight and was perpetually plagued by morning sickness. His fingers and ankles had swollen to the point where he couldn’t wear his wedding band and needed custom fit dress shoes.

The pregnancy was a huge surprise that arrived soon after Ben was no longer legally required to take birth control due to his age and no fall estrus. Ben refused to terminate it, despite being forty-two and already high risk as a male Omega. Five months in, the pregnancy became evident on his huge frame despite having previously been able to hide Kira (who was a tiny six pound baby at birth) as weight gain.

This time, rumors spiraled about the company’s executive director being both an Omega and pregnant. After much deliberation between Ben, Rey, Han, Leia, and Ben’s publicists, they released a minor press statement congratulating Rey and Ben on their upcoming twins so he no longer had to hide his bump. The feedback was overwhelming. While mostly positive, the news garnered some ugly and prejudiced responses on social media. But, to Ben’s relief, nothing related to Ben’s previous sex work or wartime activities leaked.

Rey was nervous about the C-section that Dr. Kalonia requested Ben to undergo this time based on his age, narrow hips and how one of the fetuses was positioned. Her protective Alpha tendencies had been on full throttle for the past three months. She kept having nightmares that something went wrong during the surgery. That she’d lose the love of her life and be left alone with three babies to raise. When Rey woke up panicking, Ben was always immediately at her side to reassure her, gather her in his arms, and let her weep into his chest.

By the time Rey had grabbed their hospital bag, called the doctor, dressed, and ran downstairs, Ben was already waiting for her in the kitchen. He wore a mismatched outfit consisting of his favorite black cashmere sweater (humorously stretched over his stomach—he didn’t give a fuck at this point) and oversized Adidas training pants. Seated at the island, he was forcing down a cup of applesauce, the food he discovered tasted best during his previous labor.

“You ready?”

Ben nodded, his jaw set. Rey reached out her hand and he took it, squeezing her fingers.

***

After they pulled out of their driveway, Ben dialed for his parents and put them on the car speaker.

“Hello?” A sleep-throated Leia answered the phone.

“Hey, Mom,” Ben said, resting his cheek against the window in the passenger’s seat. “Guess what.”

Leia paused. “What?”

“We’re heading to the hospital,” Rey responded for Ben, keeping her voice steady and eyes ahead on the road. “Ben’s in labor.”

“ _No…”_

“Yep,” Ben answered.

“Do you want us to be there?!” Leia was even more worried about Ben’s pending delivery than Rey was.

“No, Mom. They’re doing the surgery tonight. We’ll call you when I’m awake and you can see the babies.”

Rey and Ben heard Leia shake her husband awake in the background and quickly explain what was happening in response to Han’s grumpy and audible “What?”

Leia came back to the phone. “Alright, dear. Your father and I love you very much and want updates as soon as you can in the meantime. Right?” Leia called back to Han.

“Right, right. Good luck, son. And Rey—”

“Yes, sir?”

“Take care of him for us, will you?”

Rey made the briefest eye contact with Ben before putting her eyes back on the road. Despite his pain, Ben smirked and shook his head in embarrassment.

“Of course, sir. I always will, no matter what.”

“That’s my girl.” Rey smiled to his response. She _adored_ gruff senior Mr. Solo.

“Bye, Dad. Love you, Mom.”

“Good-bye!” Leia and Han said in sync before Ben hung up.

They sat in silence, Ben breathing heavily but evenly. Rey caught him in the last two weeks watching pregnancy mediation videos on Youtube. She wondered if he was doing that. She glanced at the GPS. They were five minutes away from the hospital now.

Rey broke the silence. “Cutie, are you _sure_ you don’t want me in there with you?”

“I’m sure.”

“Are you sure- _sure_?”

“I’m 100% sure, Rey. They’re going to put me under general anesthesia. You’ll freak if you see me knocked out and with my guts turned inside out. Go to the nearby Waffle House and get something to eat until Dr. Kalonia texts you.”

 _How does Ben expect me to eat_ now? Rey took a shaky breath. _Now is NOT the time for crying, Rey._ Ben allowed Rey to sit with him for Kira’s vaginal birth. Why wouldn’t he let her sit for this one? She felt silly worrying over decisions that had been made months prior while Ben sat beside her calmly like a pro. Rey knew she couldn’t handle the sight of Ben unresponsive in surgery.

“They’ll let me in as soon as you’re out, right?”

“She gave me her word.”

“Okay. How are you feeling now, one through ten?”

Ben exhaled slowly. “Eight and a half?”

Rey gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.

“Rey, I am going to be fine. Trust me.” Ben reached over to rub Rey’s neck.

Dr. Kalonia and her team were waiting for Ben in front of the emergency room with a wheelchair. Before Ben got out of the car, Rey kissed him with all of her strength. A prayer to whoever was listening to make sure he got out of this ordeal in one piece.

After she dropped Ben off, Rey went to the Waffle House that was five minutes down the road, ordered a coffee, tucked herself into a booth, and stared at her phone.

***

Two and a half hours later, at 5:30 in the morning, the text came. Rey’s stomach flopped as she unlocked the phone to read the doctor’s text.

_Hello Rey! The surgery went according to plan. Ben is in the recovery room and the babies are healthy. Come on over! He will be transferred to Room 293 shortly._

Rey threw a twenty dollar bill onto the table and _ran._ She hopped in the car and sped over to the hospital. She jogged to Room 293, paused in front of the closed door to steel herself, and quietly opened the door.

There was Ben, heavily bandaged around his naked torso and hooked up to IVs in the partially elevated hospital bed, looking like complete shit, but awake and in one piece. He turned his head from the window to the door as he heard it creak open.

Upon seeing Rey, he gave her an exhausted, boyish smile. Even after seven years, Rey’s heart clenched whenever she saw those twisted eyeteeth.

Rey smiled back and let the tears fall freely. “Hey, silly.” She walked over and smoothed his hair back before sitting down in the padded chair beside his bed. 

“Hey,” Ben whispered, still smiling.

“You did it.”

“No. _We_ did it.”

“… _We_ did it.” Rey wiped her nose on her sleeve and laughed in her flooding sense of relief.

“I love you,” he said quietly.

Rey gently grabbed his hand and kissed the center of his palm. He once again smelled of libraries, beeswax, and tonka bean, the pregnant scent of wisteria now flushed out of his system.

“I love you too. I’m yours, for now and forever.”

Ben blushed.

***

The twins were quiet and content newborns, breaths of fresh air after the perpetually furious and unsatisfied baby Kira. They avoided inheriting Ben’s ears, but both had his intense brown eyes and pale skin. They were going to be beautiful, just like him.

As the sun rose, Ben rested beside Rey with their new daughter asleep on his chest. Rey held their swaddled son. He stared up at his mother with curious, unfocused eyes.

Rey’s heart was filled to the brim, glancing from the baby in her arms, to her mate and youngest daughter, and back again.

_I am the luckiest woman in the world. No doubt about it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, my story is _officially_ done. 
> 
> If you're interested in reading something else by me (especially something that's _not_ semi-Dead Dove: Do Not Eat in nature), please check out my new Rey/Ben fic, [_oh heave away, you rolling king._](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23613598?view_full_work=true) It's a semi-retelling of Scottish/Irish selkie myths and I'm quite proud of it so far. I will update it weekly. 
> 
> Thank you again for your support. 
> 
> Love,  
> Lady


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